Working Title
by starspangledpumpkin
Summary: Steve Rogers thought he would be alone in this new era, but when a Mutant with similar abilities to his barrels her way into his life, he finds that the future holds amazing things he'd never dreamed of. Perhaps adjusting won't be so bad with a friend beside him. ON HIATUS FOR RE-WRITE
1. Prologue

_May 4th, 2013_

Three weeks. It has been three weeks since he found himself in a world so familiar yet not. He'd be walking down the street and get startled by street performers, a car that revved loudly before speeding off, or tripping on those damn curbs. Sometimes, Steve would pretend he was back in 1940 but would quickly be jolted back to reality by the cleaner air or a piece of graffiti that was bright and colorful.

The only amount of peace he could find was at night and even then…

If some woman got home safely that night or a man didn't get stabbed that wasn't any of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s business.

Speaking of.

He narrowed his eyes at the three men shouting lewd remarks at a woman in light blue scrubs from their perch on a stoop whether it was to their own place or somebody else's was unknown. People tended to mind their own business when they could. The woman ignored the men, so they got up and began to follow her, their comments growing louder and more crass.

Clenching his jaw, Steve crossed the street, breaking into a run when they surrounded her.

"Hey! Leave her be."

The leader turned to him and smirked. "What if we don't? She's just giving us money for coffee and she'll be giving something else a little sweeter."

Faster than lightning, the woman jabbed her elbow back into the face of the creep who was speaking. He doubled over and connected again with her knee.

His buddy on the right cursed and threw a punch, landing squarely on her cheek but she didn't budge an inch. The guy cried out in pain and clutched his hand like he had just punched a brick wall.

She tilted her head. "Oh… you should probably see a nurse for that. Luckily, I am one." Her massive yet slender hand engulfed his and squeezed. "Does it hurt when I do this?"

"I'm sorry!" he screamed. "I'm sorry!"

"Let this be a reminder that you shouldn't go around harassing women. We're human beings. Treat us like it."

She turned towards the remaining guy who was watching everything with wide eyes and most likely soiled pants.

"Beat it."

With a whimper, he ran off.

Steve raised his eyebrows, thoroughly impressed. "Guess you didn't need my help."

She smiled and shook her head. "No. But it was nice to know that if I did, someone was there."

"No problem," he replied and returned the smile.

She worked her jaw as she studied him. "What's Steve Rogers doing in East Harlem?"

He shrugged. "There's a twenty-four hour gym that looks like— wait, you know who I am?"

She smiled. "I have a friend that knew you. He had a few photos."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah." She jerked her head towards the path. "Walk with me. Just because I can handle myself doesn't mean I like being harassed."

He hesitated. He didn't know this woman and she took out three men on her own. Then again, he was a super soldier. She also knew who he was. What if she was S.H.I.E.L.D. sent to monitor him? Perhaps they knew about his minor vigilante stunts. He must've been silent for two long because the nurse shouldered her bag, said, "suit yourself," and continued on her way.

"Wait, hold on." He jogged after her and caught up. "Sorry, you just took me by surprise. I don't mind walking you home. Where are we going?"

"B train to 147th street," she replied.

It was pretty far out of the way but he didn't mind. More than anything else he was tempted to talk to someone who wasn't an agent or a affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. Continuing on their way to the subway, he glanced over at her. She was nearly his height, surpassing him with her black cloud of hair. Her dark skin almost disappearing between the street lights.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Theodora, but everyone calls me Teddy."

"Steve," he said, even though she knew his name. He reached out and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Conversation didn't really strike up until they were on the subway. In the blaring lights Steve could see the bruise on her cheek. She didn't really look at him, instead choosing to gaze down at her phone. Her long fingers flew across the keyboard, messaging someone. A friend or parent. Perhaps a boyfriend. A picture of a cute dog appeared and she huffed quietly and smiled. He had one of those phones with a screen activated by touch but the only thing he knew how to do with it was call.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Hm?" Teddy glanced over at him.

He gestured to his own cheek.

"Oh, that." She tapped it lightly. "It'll be fine. I'm tough."

He furrowed his brow. "I've been punched in the face... a lot. How… how did you not even flinch?"

She raised an eyebrow. "That's your question? Not 'you're a girl, how'd you do that fightin' stuff'?"

Huffing out a laugh, he looked down at his hands. "I'm pretty sure I fell in love with my girl when I saw her knock a guy onto his ass with one punch."

"Cool." She leaned forward and propped her elbows on her knees. "Well, you seem pretty chill. I'm a Mutant. I'm kinda like Captain America if you was a woman and black. Super strong, super fast, increased metabolism. Plus, I knocked out Adolf Hitler 200 times."

He laughed for real this time and it felt good.

Teddy smiled slightly. "Seriously though, thanks for going in to intervene. It's—" she sighed—"It's not fun being harassed and it really wears a person down. Even if they can handle it themselves."

He paused unsure of what to say. On some days this future was alien, but human behavior hasn't really changed all that much. True, there was a lot less blatant prejudice and racism, but it was still there.

"Why so glum, sugar plum?"

He blinked and looked over to Teddy. "Huh?"

She cringed. "Sorry. Freshman year of college I started doing small rhymes and swearing with ice cream flavors because irony or whatever and I couldn't stop. It pops up more on days where I'm working in the children's ward."

"No, I don't mind that. Nobody has ever pointed out my…" he struggled to find the words. Looking away, he studied the advertisements crammed on the subway walls. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is to me but a lot of people don't notice. Not really. They got their own problems. Besides, you woke up after a seventy year sleep, you know? Of course you're gonna be sad."

An automated voice crackled over the speakers telling them their stop.

All conversation at a halt, they gathered their things and walked quickly through the piss soaked subway, past sleeping homeless people and late night workers.

Thinking back, he realized he missed something, especially since the bruise from her cheek mysteriously disappeared on the train. "What's a Mutant?"

She whipped her head around and stared at him incredulously. "What's a– where have _you_ been?"

"Uh… trapped in ice with the Valkyrie?"

She slapped her forehead. "Ugh, I am so dumb. But seriously, _somebody_ must've told you about us by now?"

He shook his head.

"Alright, this is gonna sound weird, but how about I help you?"

"How?"

She stopped walking and pulled out her house keys. "How 'bout by being a friend? Listen, I have finals next week and after that I work fifty hours a week at the Harlem Hospital Center. I'll teach you how to use your phone and you can contact me any time with questions and whatever."

"Really?"

Ever since he woke up, it felt like everybody wanted something from him. Even the people who were supposed to be helping him catch up on technology and current events wanted something or treated him so condescendingly that he just stopped going altogether. Teddy seemed like she genuinely wanted to help him and could do it in a way that he could understand.

"Okay. Sure, why not?"

"Last thing. Wanna come up for a slice of pie? I can explain what a Mutant is and we can come up with a list of things to catch you up on."

He hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know… it's really late."

"Thought I'd ask." She patted him on the shoulder. "Night."

He looked down the street picturing his big, empty apartment waiting for him. The only thing to greet him would be the stack of files and history books. If he were being honest with himself, a bit of company sounded better than ever. He turned to Teddy where she was unlocking a big iron door. "What kind of pie?"

She smiled. "Triple berry."

Steve followed her into the building and up to her apartment. The hallways were so narrow his shoulders almost brushed the sides of the walls. She unlocked her door, flicked on the light and waved him in. There was a small set of stairs to the right that led into her apartment.

It was miniscule. Probably the size of his childhood home. The kitchen was just a nook with a stove-oven and a small stretch of counters. A refrigerator stood off to the side of a door that might've been a room.

There was a plump pea green couch flanked by two small side tables across from a large bookcase that held her television, books, scrapbooks, and some electronics he wasn't familiar with. A roll top desk sat against the window covered with organized stacks of books and a laptop, plastic storage containers lay underneath filled with office supplies. A cherry wood armoire and matching dresser sat in the corner.

The walls were a flaking beige covered with photos of what looked like her family and one painting of a big manor. There were even a few posters. He recognized one from his movie days, another looked a bit like Peggy, but the one that really got his attention was a picture of a blue woman with red hair and yellow eyes. **Mutant and Proud** it read.

Above all else, he noticed how _clean_ her place was. It wasn't a septic kind of clean from a hospital, but everything was in order and there wasn't speck of dust in sight. From what he could see her books and… he wasn't sure what the tiny boxes were, maybe audiobooks of some kind, were all in alphabetical order. The air smelled lightly of vanilla.

"It's small but it's home," she commented and pulled a table out from behind the bookcase. She quickly unfolded it and set it up. "Make yourself comfy. Slagathor, come say hello."

The biggest cat he'd ever seen leapt off the armoire and meowed. He sat down on one side of the couch and the cat leapt on the back complaining loudly.

"Shh, guests eat first," Teddy said to the feline.

To Steve's surprise, the cat seemed to do a small scoff in reply and stayed silent. Steve reached around and scratched her between her fuzzy ears. Slagathor purred, rubbing her cheek against his hand. He smiled slightly.

"Do you want ice cream on your pie?" Teddy asked.

"No, thank you."

She came over with two warm plates of pie and two forks.

Steve took a bite and closed his eyes. It was delicious. Even reheated, the crust was flaky and the filling perfectly sweet.

"So, any questions?" she asked once she was done eating and had stuffed three toy mice with food for her cat to hunt.

"A lot, actually."

If he were being honest, talking with someone made him feel better. Teddy had a smooth voice like his Mam, but hers was deep and rich whereas Mam's was high like a flute.

They didn't even discuss how he was feeling since he woke up and he was grateful for that. Everyone wanted to know if he missed the "good 'ol days" but not her. By the end of it, they put together a list of things and she gave him a small notebook to write questions and suggestions down in. She taught him how to google things (which he thought meant something else at first) and how to text on his phone. they practiced back and forth until he could write coherent sentences.

He was actually very surprised and it made him laugh a little when he saw it had a calculator.

"What?" Teddy tilted her head.

"It's just… my teachers in school always said math by memory was important because you won't be carrying scrap paper with you everywhere and calculators were too expensive."

"When I was a kid, they said you wouldn't be carrying a calculator with you everywhere. I got detention because I said one of my cousins was a nerd that had a calculator on his watch."

"Really?"

They continued to chat until the sky turned pink with dawn and Steve's new friend was drooping with exhaustion. Teddy packed him up a small box stuffed with food to take home with him. "Come back soon, okay?"

"I will," he promised and smiled. "And thanks."

"No problem boblem."

He chuckled at the rhyme. "I'll call you."

"Okay, see you soon, Steve. Maybe we can work out sometime."

"That sounds good. Bye, Teddy."

It would be a while before they'd see each other again.


	2. Chapter 1

_June 4th, 2013_

Surprisingly, New York didn't take as much damage as it could have. Teddy thought about joining the fight, but instead signed in at the Hospital to prepare for the "collateral damage". The Emergency Room was so full of victims they ran out of beds and ended up having to vacate several of them just so the elderly and children would have a place to be. She saved several lives that day and one died under her watch; a young man who didn't have a lot of hope in the first place. She held his hand while he passed and he thanked her for being with him. It was heart breaking but she'd seen quite a few deaths in her time of being a nurse and knew that she had to move past it if she wanted to continue to do her job effectively. She always worked hard to keep people as comfortable as possible and noticed she got very high ratings for bedside manner, even from the most difficult of patients.

When it was all over, men in black suits took care of the alien carcasses.

All in all, Teddy was impressed by what the Avengers did. They worked with the police force and firemen to create a barricade around several blocks to contain the damage.

Still, hundreds were injured and under hospital care, but it was the best most realistic outcome they could've hoped for. 8,405,837 people in the city not including tourists and only 176 died.

The cleanup was also way less than any disaster movie Teddy had ever seen. Hell, it was less than any natural disaster she'd ever seen or read about. True, buildings were destroyed and rubble littered the streets but it was a small section compared to the entire city.

Hotels and shelters opened their doors for people who lost their homes and volunteers for clean up were organized. Tony Stark funded the Department of Damage Control to ensure that all of the alien tech wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

A month later and the streets were clear and buildings were under repair thanks to donations and probably Tony Stark. The Kings of Latveria and Wakanda also made deals by sending in stronger materials for restructuring the buildings. President Obama thanked them for their generosity and it actually helped strengthen relations between the countries. There was even talk in the E.U. for a new program that would be a standard for accepting refugees and donating building materials in the case of disasters either natural or unnatural. Considering what happened in Egypt in the 1980s it was clear that America wasn't thee only country vulnerable to extreme destruction by aliens or Mutants.

Teddy didn't hear Steve again until mid-June. She was at home, up early and working on her dissertation when she received a call from him.

"Hey," she sang cheerfully. "I was wondering when you'd call."

 _"Yeah, sorry... things have been crazy. Can I come by today?"_ he asked.

"My place is a bit messy for company. Why don't we go out somewhere?"

 _"Sure. Maybe shopping? I was planning on getting some more modern clothes and a woman's help would be welcome."_

Well... she _was_ pretty good with fashion. "Okay, sounds peachy keen, jelly bean. I can introduce you to a wonderful placed called 'the mall'. See you in about forty minutes?"

 _"Yeah, sounds good."_

She quickly brushed on a bit of makeup and gathered up her purse and a jacket. She opened the front door to find Steve there with his hand up, ready to knock.

What really caught her attention was that they were wearing the exact same thing. Blue plaid shirts, khaki pants, and brown shoes. Granted she was wearing shorts and sandals because it was too hot out, but still.

"Well, one of us is gonna have to change," she joked, shutting the door behind herself.

He looked down at himself. "And here Tony was saying I dressed like an old man."

She laughed. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to dress a little more modern. It can't be comfortable to work out in a t-shirt and khakis."

"I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Well, I do. Come on."

They took the stairs rather than the elevator and soon exited into the hot summer sun.

Seriously, this was a dream come true for Teddy. When she was a kid she bought every Captain America comic book she could get her hands on, as well as the spin-off Agent Carter series. She had the biggest crush on Peggy and daydreamed about being a Howling Commando when her classes were boring.

Now, here she was, hanging out with Captain America himself. Looking at her as an equal.

Not to mention, he needed her help. She wanted to show him all the amazing things the future had to offer, before somebody else told him otherwise or he became so detached that he would refuse to use it.

"I wasn't sure where you'd take me," he admitted. "So, I borrowed a car from S.H.I.E.L.D." He gestured to the black Honda parked in a rarely open space.

"Oh, good," she sighed with relief. "I was gonna take you to the Staten Island mall. They got just about everything there but it's two hours by subway."

Teddy would've liked to have her own car, but she didn't make enough to buy one, much less keep up with insurance, inspections, and upkeep. She got into the passengers seat and dumped her purse into the back. It clunked and something probably rolled out but she could just find it later.

"Honestly, I prefer to take my motorcycle," said Steve as he started up the car.

She sat up and raised an eyebrow. "You got a motorcycle? For real?"

"Why the surprise?"

"Motorcycles are associated with bad boys," she explained and shrugged. "I've always seen you portrayed as America's Golden Boy. That changed over the years I guess."

He paused and frowned. "How do they see me now?"

"Well, you were kind of portrayed as a—" she took a deep breath—"Right-winged, conservative, commie hating, back country, good boy, that never got into fights, didn't swear—" another breath— "Racist, misogynist, arrogant, middle-class kinda guy."

"Who the fuck said that?"

She snorted in surprise at hearing him swear. "FOX News and my fifth grade History teacher." Really though, he was from New York and the Army. They use the f-bomb as much as 'um' and 'uh'.

He worked his jaw. "Well, that did open up one question. What happened to the American Communist Party? That was really big before the war."

"Really? I didn't know that." You learn something new everyday. "I guess it was disbanded because of Russian Communism."

The drive was pretty long due to summer traffic, but Steve took this as an opportunity to ask Teddy more questions about things he missed. She answered them the best she could and if she didn't know she looked it up on her phone.

"That's pretty nifty," he commented.

"Oh, yeah. Technology has come really far since I was a kid." She paused. "I guess it's a pretty big jump for you too."

"Well, yeah. The television was a pretty big surprise."

"But, it's awesome because you can watch almost any movie and TV show you want whenever you want. Don't let anybody tell you different."

"Why would they tell me different?" he asked.

"Kids these days are too absorbed in their technology," she said in a guttural and creaky voice. "TV sucks your brain out, people can't leave their phones alone, in my day people talked to each other. Hurr durr technology is bad, Thomas Edison was a witch."

He barked out a laugh. "What?"

"Adults have issues with my generation and technology," she said. "I could go on about it all day but we have computers in our freaking pockets. I can talk to someone on the other side of the world if I felt like it. I can text my mama anytime I want and she can reply any time she wants."

"You're worried I'm going to be stuck in the past and refuse to look at anything new," he concluded.

"Well, yeah." She propped her elbow on the console. "I don't care if you think new music is loud and vulgar but we have some really cool stuff nowadays and you obviously know a lot of things changed since you went under." She sighed. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm just a little starstruck," she admitted. "It's just, Logan told me all about you and you're alive and actually as good a person as I've been told—"

"I don't know about that," he said.

"Steve," she said placing a hand on his shoulder. "I am black, a woman, _and_ a Mutant and you have treated me as an equal human being. That makes you better than a lot of people, okay?"

She took a deep breath. "This is your exit."

They said nothing else until he parked the car.

"Teddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being my friend."

She smiled. "Anytime. If you do something stupid, I'll let you know and if I do something stupid, I'll convince you it wasn't stupid."

He chuckled. "Alright."

"Let's go make you all pretty," she said and dug her purse out from behind his seat.

"I thought I already was pretty."

She grinned at his snarky remark. "Okay, pretti _er_."

She slung an arm around his broad shoulders. "Okay, so the mall might be a bit intimidating. There's gonna be a lot of people and people are gonna try to sell you shit you don't want or need. If my memory of college History serves me right, advertising didn't become popular until _after_ the war because y'all didn't have any money due to the depression."

He nodded. "Sounds accurate."

"If somebody tries to talk to you, just keep walking," she advised. "No, you do not want to try that cologne. No, you do not want to try that face scrub. You don't want any of that shit."

"What if they recognize me as Captain America?" he asked, looking a bit worried.

"They won't. People aren't very observant."

"You did."

"Yes, but I am observant and I had posters of you on my walls," she said. "But if it bothers you, we can get you a brand-new haircut while we're here."

Steve's jaw dropped when they entered the mall. Cold air washed over them, a welcome change from the outside heat.

"That's a lot of stores," Steve said softly.

She nodded. "C'mon. I think we'll find what you need at JC Penney's. They have good stuff and it's a decent price."

"What all should I get?" he asked.

She pondered a moment, switching gears from what _she_ would buy, to what _he_ would prefer to have. "Okay. I would say... you want to spend the most money on a coat and shoes. We won't have to worry about a winter coat until later, but keep that in mind. You'll save more money by spending a lot on a decent coat than having to buy a cheap one every winter.

"Clothes wise? I'd say, two pairs of jeans, five t-shirts, five collared shirts, two ties, a pair of dark slacks, and some work out gear. For shoes, you'll want sneakers, dress shoes, and flip flops in case you go to the beach."

"Should I get a swimsuit?"

"Probably not," she said. "I don't like going to the beach." She paused when one of the windows caught her eyes. "Ooh, look at those purses." Another thought. "Oh! You should get a backpack. You'll never know when you need one."

She noticed him blushing. "What?"

He jerked his head towards the pink and black store. "Just… I didn't know they came in so many colors."

She chuckled and shook her head. "If you were a woman, the first thing I'd introduce you to was a good bra. Although, with those—" she gestured to his chest— "I don't know how you don't get a black eye when you run. I hope my boobs will be as big as yours someday."

His eyes widened in surprise and he laughed. "I didn't think I'd ever hear someone say that to me. Bucky would've gotten a kick out of that."

She noticed a sad look cross his face and pulled him along. She described different fabrics to him and which ones are most comfortable and how to tell the difference between real and fake silk.

They entered JC Penney's and Teddy took him immediately to the men's section. He blanched a little at the prices, but she showed him some prices from other stores for reference. He seemed to feel a little better after that. She got him to try on several things which he ended up liking.

Teddy was right when she figured Steve would love sweatpants for working out. He bought four pairs in black, light grey, dark grey, and navy.

"How do they feel?" she asked as he tried on a pair of jeans.

Steve exited the fitting rooms wearing regular cut, dark wash jeans and one of the t-shirts she thought he should get with a plaid shirt over it. He stopped in front of the mirror and studied himself for a moment.

"They feel... good," he said running his hands down the legs to smooth out the crease. "Really good. I still feel a little... I don't look like I should be wearing this stuff."

"We'll get you a haircut then," said Teddy ruffling his blond locks out of their comb-over so his bangs flopped over his forehead. "Something modern but not out of your comfort zone."

Teddy got them a spot on the waiting list for the SuperCuts at the mall and showed him several ideas on her phone. In the end, he went with just a shorter crew cut, not ready to do anything too drastic. Though she caught his gaze wandering over to one of the stylists who had his hair dyed a shocking blue. She resolved to mention temporary dye once he was more comfortable in his own skin.

"How do you feel Mr. Modern Man?" Teddy asked.

Steve had changed into one of his new outfits in the bathroom and stashed his old clothes away in one of the many shopping bags.

"I... I feel good," he said, running his fingers through his new style. "These clothes are really comfortable."

"You look good in them," said Teddy. "Really good."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Teddy. For everything."

"You're welcome."

After that, they got a couple of soft pretzels and lemonade and wandered around the mall. Teddy described numerous inventions to him that made life easier focusing mainly on kitchenware and medical equipment.

"I think that would've made things easier for Mam," he said after she told him about needles being modeled after mosquito mouths. "She hated seeing me in pain after injections."

"Mam?"

"Well, English wasn't my first language," he said. "My mother was an Irish immigrant and she always spoke Gaeilge to me until I started school. I had an accent up until sixth grade."

"Cool," she grinned. "Mama was from Louisiana and she taught me and my siblings French. Daddy wanted to teach us Xhosa and Swahili, but he couldn't remember enough so all we know is the opening to the Lion King."

"The what?"

She sucked in a breath before remembering there was no way for him to have seen it. It was locked up in the vault. "Disney movie."

He raised his eyebrows. "Disney's still around?"

"Well, not Walt Disney himself but yeah. I had most of the movies growing up and I ripped them before moving out."

He didn't ask what ripping was. "I remember seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the movies. The little kid sitting next to me peed his pants during the forest scene."

"That scared Georgia when we were kids," said Teddy. "But yeah, there are a bunch of Disney movies and they are still cranking them out." She pointed to an ad. "Look, one is coming out this November. It's called Frozen."

"Can we see it when it comes out?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure. Oh, wait til I tell you about Disney Land."

Steve was thrilled to find out those funny little characters lasted the test of time and were still popular today. He described to her some of the cartoons he'd seen and how movies used to be. He seemed a bit upset when she told him they didn't show cartoons and newsreels before movies anymore.

"Don't you worry none, look at this," she sat him down at an empty bench and pulled up one of the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. "You can watch them anytime on Youtube."

"Any time I want?" he gaped

"Any time you want. I'll set you up with an account when we're done here."

They spent several hours at the mall and ended up with a formal suit, a backpack, some boxing gloves, and a few appliances for Steve to use including a waffle iron, a cast iron skillet, and a roku.

He was a bit hesitant about spending so much money, but Teddy assured him that everything but the waffle iron was essential. Steve did have the money from years of back pay as well as royalties, she wouldn't push him to buy anything if he didn't have the money. It would just take him a while to get used to everything.

The drive back to Manhattan was fairly short and soon enough they were at Steve's apartment. Teddy helped carry in the bags and looked around.

His apartment was very nice compared to her studio. It wasn't high-end, but definitely comfortable and in a newish building. It was a two bedroom probably pre-furnished and provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. The kitchen was three times the size of hers, which she poked around to see what they could do about dinner.

"Haven't been cooking much have you?" she commented when all she found were snacks, cereal, and sandwich fixings.

"It's not that I can't," he said. "It all comes out bland and really I like today's food more."

"Guess I'll just have to teach you how to cook with spices, too. For now though, I think Indian food is in order. Have you tried it?"

He nodded. "I have and it's pretty good. Honestly, anything is tasty after you've spent five years eating half a pound of raw liver everyday and up until the serum I had to drink half a pint of liver extract. Then there were the rations during the war."

She gagged and shuddered.

He nodded his agreement and grabbed his landline phone off of its table in the hall. "What do you want to eat? I'll buy."

She wasn't about to turn down a free meal and offered to rent a movie while he ordered.

After the food was ordered, Steve watched in amazement as she hooked up his TV to the small Roku he bought while they were out. She then programmed Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.

"You can share my Amazon account," she said. "Just make sure when you buy things you don't use my own card."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I think if you spend any more money today, you'll keel over."

She set him up for a free trial for Netflix and Hulu before showing him how to use the remote and search for things. He caught on quickly.

Once the food arrived, Teddy opened up her library. "Can we watch Princess and the Frog? It's really good and one of the last hand drawn animation movies Disney has done."

He agreed to this and she hit play.

She glanced at him several times throughout the movie to gauge his reactions. He tapped his foot to the songs, got mad when Tiana was denied her restaurant, laughed at Ray and Louis' antics, and was into it the whole time.

"I should go home and feed the cat," she said once the movie was over.

"Okay," he said. "When do you want to hang out again?"

"I'm free in the morning," she suggested. "We could go for a run at Central Park."

"I'd like that."

He was a really sweet guy. There weren't a lot of men like him. If things were different, she'd probably pursue him as boyfriend material. He wasn't ready for that. Plus, after… well…

She was a Mutant. Just like her Daddy, she had an increased healing factor and superhuman longevity. This meant that as well as never getting sick since she was seven and all cuts heal lickety split, she was going to be long lived. At least a thousand years if her research has shown anything.

So, Steve was just going to be a good friend. If she could prove he was long-lived like her then maybe in a couple centuries they could have something.

Teddy gave Steve a quick hug as she readied to leave. "See you later, alligator."

"After a while, crocodile," he returned with a smile.


	3. Chapter 2

_June 6th, 2013_

"You didn't have to come," Steve said to Natasha.

"I know," the redhead replied as she stretched.

It was early in the morning, barely dawn. Central Park was cast in blue shadows left over from the night, but the thick air from an upcoming hot day had already settled in.

"She's a nurse, Natasha," Steve continued. "I feel like you're only coming in to profile her or see if she's a secret agent."

"Maybe I just want to see your girlfriend." She was definitely here to profile, but even so…

Steve set his jaw and released a sigh through his nose. "I'm only going to say this once. I lost Peggy two months ago. I lost Bucky two months and a week ago. I lost everything I have ever known two months ago. The last thing on my mind is finding someone to date. Teddy is my friend and I really don't want to hear implications from anybody."

Natasha was silent for a moment. "Okay." Her snarky demeanor returned. "You get a year before I start finding you a girlfriend."

"Why a year?"

"Sixth months mourning and sixth months building yourself back up."

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

Steve turned to see Teddy jogging towards them in a lime green tank top and black shorts

"What's up, buttercup?" she said with a smile.

Even in the dim light of morning, Steve saw spots from the green neon tank top. She was smiling brightly and Steve smiled in return.

"I'm swell," he replied and gestured to the assassin. "This is Natasha, she decided to join us today."

"Hi," Natasha smiled and shook Teddy's outstretched hand.

"So, I have cinnamon buns slow baking. I thought a breakfast might be nice before we start today's crash course on pop culture."

"Speaking of, those Crash Course history youtube videos are really helpful."

They started off at a slow jog.

"She has you on youtube?" Natasha asked.

Steve nodded. "It's pretty helpful. I can also watch a lot of old cartoons from the forties."

"What's your youtube name?" Natasha asked with a grin.

Steve blushed and looked straight ahead. Teddy came up with it and he really shouldn't have told her he didn't care about the name. He wouldn't have exactly chosen _Starspangledbeefcake_ for himself.

"I'd rather not say."

They continued in silence after that. Steve noticed Teddy's pace getting faster until about ten minutes in she shouted "On your left!" and took off running, her hair bounced with each step.

Steve and Natasha raised their eyebrows and picked up the pace. Steve pushed himself faster until he caught up.

"On your right," he shot back as he passed her.

They continued this banter on the route, Teddy seemed to pass him up on inclines, but he used the slopes to his advantage.

Soon enough, those gotdamn curbs got him. Teddy passed over it without thinking, but his toe just caught it and he sprawled out on the ground.

"Cookies and Cream are you okay?"

Next thing he knew, Teddy had picked him up and set him down on a nearby bench. Natasha came by as the curly haired woman was rolled up Steve's pant legs to check the damage.

"That was some fall," although the tone was teasing, Natasha's eyebrows were furrowed in mild concern.

"They didn't have a lot of curbs back then," he said. "I trip on them all the damn time." He hissed as Teddy poked the bruises gently.

"On a scale of one to ten, how is your pain?" she asked. "One is: Doesn't bother me, a Five is: distracting and can't do what you need to, a ten is: Unable to move, please end my pain."

Steve blinked. He'd never heard someone describe the numbers like that before. "Uh… 4.5. It hurts and I'll probably limp a little, but I've had worse."

"Okay, also, do you mind if I record how long it takes for your bruises to heal?"

The request was a little odd, but she was helping him. "Sure, no problem."

His bruises healed in three hours and thirty minutes after that he was fine again. He didn't ask what Teddy needed the info for.

 _June 10th, 2013_

It was late in the afternoon when Teddy got a call from a frantic Steve.

"What's new, chuckaboo?" she asked.

 _"I don't know what I did wrong,"_ he said.

Uh oh. "Shit, what happened? Metal in the microwave? Drop your phone in water? Wait, if you did that you wouldn't be calling."

 _"Please, come over. I don't know how to deal with this."_

"Alright, big breath." She heard him suck some air and release it slowly. "I'll be right over."

She shoved her wallet and phone into a little backpack and ran down to the bike rental place. Thoughts ran through her head about what might have happened ranging from minor things like breaking the remote to disastrous stuff like the oven or microwave catching on fire. She pedaled so fast she was pretty sure she would cause damage to the bike.

He answered the door before she even had a chance to knock, probably watching for her after they got off the phone. She saw the problem immediately.

Piles upon piles of white bubbles flooded out of the kitchen. Towels lined the kitchen door way soaking up the water from the wood floors. A frazzled Steve was staring wide eyed between her and the mess.

"Oh, sweetie," she said before bursting out into laughter.

He flushed. "It's not funny."

She clamped her mouth shut trying not to laugh, but ended up snorting really loudly.

"Steve, darling, sweetie, precious, did you put dish soap into the dishwasher?"

He nodded silently.

She pulled him into a hug and patted his back. "It's okay, I've done that too. It happens to the best of us."

She could tell he felt a little better that he wasn't the only one. They got the mess cleaned up and she gently set the record straight about the difference between dish soap and dish washer soap.

 _June 25th, 2013_

"What's the lesson for today?" Steve asked watching Teddy pull things out of the bookcase.

He learned very quickly that Teddy was a stickler for keeping things orderly. She always started the dishwasher after dinner, whether it was full or not didn't matter. Her DVDs and books were alphabetized, she kept a color coded planner, and even organized her food by type. Not that he was complaining. It was a little weird that she did the same for his apartment, claiming that the lack of organization bothered her. She didn't touch his room, so he let it slide.

"Video games," Teddy replied revealing two black controllers. "Studies show video games help with coordination, social development, and strategy."

"I don't think I'll be any good at it," he protested weakly.

"Not with that attitude."

He chuckled a little. She said that every time he made a negative connotation, but there were occasions where she dropped the subject.

The tv flicked on and the sounds of revving cars filled the room.

 _"Mario Kart Eight!"_ a cheerful voice cried.

Teddy explained the controllers to him as well as how to play, but when she noticed his confuzzled look she waved her hand. "Let's just jump in and I'll explain as we go along."

He looked down at the controller and the screen of characters. Teddy picked a green animal named Yoshi, he perused them and ended up picking a a small man in a white mask and red shirt.

"Hit A. Hit A again. Again. Again. Okay, when the countdown reaches 'one' hold down A and steer with the toggle. Watch the right side of the screen."

He did as she said. It was tough, he kept moving his hands like a steering wheel as well as the toggle causing him to smash into walls. He finished last but for some reason he didn't want to quit. So, they played again.

"Fuck!" he shouted when he got hit with three red shells consecutively.

"Ooh, I hate it when that happens."

They played again and again until he got used to it, by dinner time he was steady between eighth and fifth place.

After dinner, it was decided that Steve would head home, but before he did Teddy had a surprise for him.

"This is my DS," she said, handing him a black rectangle that flipped open. "Here are a couple easy games. Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and one that's inspired by you." She briefly explained how to turn it on and how to know when to charge it.

"Thanks," he said and slipped that pack into his backpack. "I don't know how I manage without you."

She smiled. "You'd manage. You just wouldn't be having any fun."

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked, joining Steve at his lunch table between training sessions.

"Playing a game," he replied. He got hooked on Pokémon Black, the little monsters were endearing and gave him enough of a challenge to strategize, but not so difficult to make him frustrated.

"You?" she asked incredulously. "Wow… I don't think anyone would believe this. I don't think I even believe it."

"It's fun. I can't just stay holed up in my house listening to records all day."

"No… I guess not," Natasha conceded. She never mentioned it again.


	4. Chapter 3

_July 4th, 2013_

Steve was on his way home from his morning work out when he got a call from Teddy.

 _"Hey, Steve,"_ she said cheerfully. _"Happy Birthday."_

"Thanks," he smiled.

 _"So, listen, wanna go to the park today and celebrate your B-Day?"_

He hadn't celebrated his birthday in years. Bucky always managed to snag him a candy bar on that day, but when the war started there just wasn't any time. "Okay. That sounds nice."

 _"What's your favorite cake flavor?"_

That was a tough question. There was only two times in his life he got an actual birthday cake. When he was five and when he was ten. Mam scrimped together enough money to buy sugar and enough fresh fruit for… "Apple cake."

 _"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Why don't you come by at six and we can go to Central Park after presents. They got all kinds of celebrations there, so it'll be fun."_

"Yeah, it will. See ya then."

 _"Okay, bye."_

He pocketed his phone and smiled. When he became Captain America, people didn't quite believe his birthday was on the 4th of July. It seemed kind of fitting and even Erskine had a laugh over it when he saw the chart.

Mam made sure he had one thing to open each year and when he befriended Bucky, the Barnes Family got him a gift as well. Mostly books and one year a box of colored pencils. Him and Bucky would climb up onto the roof to see the fireworks and pretended they were just for Steve.

He supposed this year some really would be for him. He saw the fliers on the subway. It felt a little weird that a childhood fantasy had come true.

At least he wasn't going to spend it alone.

Steve and Teddy grew close as friends through texting and calling. They also worked it out that he would walk her to and from her weekly shift at the hospital so they could talk and she could explain things to him in person without throwing her off her schedule. She taught him a lot and even gave him her History notes from college to help him catch up on more than pop culture. He was surprised by how much there was that he didn't know, even from when he lived.

He started taking up some SHIELD training as a field agent when he was unsure of what to do with his life. Perhaps once he passed he would move to D.C. and join Natasha's team.

The day went by fairly fast, he spent it reading one of the books Teddy recommended called _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone._ He finished it by the afternoon and was well into _The Chamber of Secrets_ when it was time for him to get ready to go.

He dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans and took his motorcycle to her place. The entire city was decorated in red, white, and blue bows and streamers. People milled about on the sidewalk dressed in similar colors going to parties.

A harried blonde that looked almost like Natasha in a Betsy Ross type dress chased after a little boy in similar era attire. There weren't as many decorations by the time he made it to Teddy's neighborhood. He took the stairs up to her floor and texted her of his arrival.

She opened the door already dressed in a sleeveless blouse and jean shorts.

"Hey," she smiled. "Come on in. I just finished your cake."

She hustled around as he entered, she dragged a table out from behind her bookshelf and unfolded it. She quickly and efficiently set out plates, forks, napkins, and two glasses of blue lemonade.

She pulled a lighter out and lit the cake on the counter. She sang a birthday song for him and placed it in front of him. It was a simple square cake covered in off-white frosting. 'Happy Birthday Steve' was written out in candy letters and two number candles reading 95 lit.

"Make a wish, jellyfish!" she said.

He squeezed his eyes shut and blew out the candles, but didn't make a wish.

She clapped her hands and gave him a pink wedge shaped serving knife that was serrated on one edge. "You have to cut the first piece."

It was fluffy and Steve was pretty sure those were real apples instead of canned ones.

"What about dinner?" he questioned.

"You're going to be hungry again in an hour," she reasoned.

"Good point." He took a fork and scooped out the first bite. He stuck it in his mouth and closed his eyes. It was sweet and just about melted in his mouth. He could taste everything, the apples, the walnuts, and the cinnamon. The icing was rich and creamy, but didn't over power the cake in any way. It was one of the best desserts he'd ever had. He was instantly flashed back to when he was five. His mam ruffling his hair, a smile on her tired face.

"How do you like it?" Teddy asked. "I've never made apple cake before."

Steve smiled. "It's great. Amazing."

"Good. My sister is the better baker and I'm pretty good with meals in general."

"It tastes just like my mam's apple cake."

Her eyes softened. "Wow… that's a really big compliment. Thank you. Anyway, I was thinking we could get hotdogs and chips at the park, but I put some cold beverages in my backpack to save money," Teddy said snapping him back to reality. "They always got something going on. Have you seen the Zoo yet? There's an art museum that does a light show and then plays your movies on the side of the building."

"Sounds fun," Steve said not really picking anything from her list.

"By the way." Teddy reached into her closet and pulled out a big package wrapped up in shiny blue and green striped paper. "I got you a gift."

"Oh, you didn't have to. You spoil me enough already."

"But I wanted to," said Teddy. "It's a rule that you have to open something on your birthday."

"Well… if it's a rule." Steve excitedly tore off the paper to find a sleek wooden case. He ran his hand along the top and opened it up. The wide assortment of art supplies inside made his inner artist swoon. Oil pastels, water colors, charcoal, colored pencils, and markers.

"My friend said you were an artist, so I wanted you to be able to explore your artistic abilities," she explained. "Plus, the local community college offers free classes to veterans so you could take a couple of art classes to learn new techniques."

"Wow…" Steve closed the case and gave Teddy a big hug. "Thanks, this birthday has been swell so far."

"I'm glad."

They polished off the last bit of cake and made their way downstairs to Steve's motorcycle.

Teddy grinned when she saw it. It reminded her of the one she saw in old pictures of Steve. "Awesome possum! Where's your helmet?"

"Helmet?" he furrowed his brow.

"It's against the law to go without a helmet," she informed him. "I'm sure we'll be okay for today, but still."

"I didn't know that," he said. "I'll look into it."

Central Park was crazy, stupid crowded. The air was thick with barbecue smoke and pigeons fluttered around hoping for handouts. Steve flushed in embarrassment when he saw the amount of t-shirts and toys with his image on them. His embarrassment grew even further when they passed by his statue. The number of flowers, gifts, and letters piled around the base was hard to determine.

"Are you going to collect those?" Teddy asked teasingly. "They are for you after all."

He shook his head. "I'm not ready for people to know what I look like. It'd just be too weird."

"Fair enough, though with that haircut it might be a little obvious," she draped an arm across his shoulders and steered him away from the statue. "I think I see a hot dog stand. I'm buying."

"I can pay," he argued.

"I know you can, but it's your birthday. Big birthday rules: Number one) never bake your own cake, number two) never light your own candles, number three) no chores if you can manage it, number four) if possible never pay for stuff within reason, and number five) cut the first slice of cake. Bad juju if you break these."

"Bad juju for lighting your own candles?" he questioned.

"Oh yeah, I baked my own cake once and the oven caught fire."

He blinked in surprise. "Okay, good to know."

After a dinner of hotdogs, chips, and coca-cola Steve and Teddy wandered around the park watching all of the activities being held by various summer programs.

Everything was fine and dandy until:

 _Pop! Pop! Pop!_

A whistle, flash and boom sent him right back to the middle of war when the Commandos got caught up in the trenches. Grenades exploded left and right. A man with a crater through his skull. Men with missing limbs due to land mines.

 _Bang!_

"GET DOWN!" He tackled the soldier beside him to the ground as something whistled overhead.

"Steve… Steve!"

He was suddenly jolted back to reality. A group of children stared at him, jaws dropped. Two of them held sparklers. A couple of adults came over and stood between him and the children.

"Hey, buddy. It's okay," Teddy said soothingly and helped him sit up. She turned to the parents. "Sorry about that. He's a war veteran you see. I didn't consider that the fireworks would trigger him."

A mother nodded, but still gripped her child's shoulder tightly. "My father was like that after Vietnam."

Steve was vaguely aware of Teddy helping him stand up. "Let's get you home, okay?"

He nodded mutely.

Everything felt a bit surreal after that. The walk back to his bike, the ride to Teddy's, he didn't feel grounded again until he was inside her apartment and Teddy had draped her comforter around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what happened."

"I do," she sat down next to him. "It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A lot of Mutants get it and I have some friends that were in war. You called it 'shell shock' in your time."

"I get dreams sometimes," he said. "I didn't think it would affect me when I was awake."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. "Burdens are easier to share with another person."

He shook his head. "No. Not now."

"Okay. I'll try to be around when you are, okay?"

He nodded.

Before the fireworks started throughout the city, Teddy made a small blanket fort and set him up with her earbuds. They felt funny in his ears at first, then music started to play. He flinched at the thunderous sound of fireworks and the music immediately turned up louder. He saw Teddy manning the music through her phone. Slagathor settled her massive body into Steve's lap and purred.

He closed his eyes and focused only on the lyrics of the songs she played while she watched TV and rubbed his back.

Steve thanked God he had a friend like Teddy come his way.

 _July 30th, 2013_

Steve and Teddy were hanging out at his apartment and watching a movie. He picked her up after her twelve hour shift and cooked her dinner. With her help, he was getting better at flavoring his food and getting everything finished on time.

Now, they were splitting a bowl of trail mix and watching one of the movies on Steve's list. She grabbed one old style movie (Some Like it Hot) and one newer style movie (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).

"How are they doing that?" Steve asked in amazement at the special effects.

"A green screen," Teddy replied. "Kinda like how you would walk in front of a set? The green screen opens up a wider range of backgrounds."

"Neat!"

"It _is_ neat."

With Teddy's schooling, Steve was coming to appreciate the new age technology. When they watched movies, she set him up with her tablet and when a reference was made, Teddy told him and he looked it up and if it was from a movie it was added to the online shared document.

 _Bang Bang into the room_

 _I know you want it_

 _Bang Bang all over you!_

Teddy tilted her head and pulled a buzzing phone out of her pocket. "Oh, it's Georgia." She paused the movie and answered.

Steve listened quietly as Teddy answered her phone. "Hey, Gigi. How'd it go? Did she say yes?" He jumped when Teddy squealed and bounced up and down. "Oh, my God! When's the wedding? Really? Next July. That is, like, forever. I know, I know it's the insurance, but even so. Of course, I'm your Maid of Honor. Yeah, sure! Okay, I love you, bye bye."

She hung up and squealed even louder. "My sister is getting married!"

"I gathered," Steve said with a smile.

"She has been with Inez for three years. I am _so_ happy for them."

"Inez is a woman?" Steve asked.

Teddy paused. "Yes. That's partially legal now. A lot of places are still being stupid, but we'll get there."

Steve swallowed hard. "Can… can I confide in you?"

Still maintaining eye contact, Teddy set her phone on the coffee table and settled on the couch so she was facing him fully. "Shoot."

"This is something I've never told anyone. Not Mam, not Bucky, not even my priest." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I like men and women. Romantically, I mean." He'd dealt with these feelings for years, but all it would get him was in eugenics testing. "I… I lived in one of the queer neighborhoods while going to art school, but I never… I was scared."

Teddy reached across and rested her hands on his shoulders. "It's okay, there's nothing wrong with it. It's called Bisexual. I'm that way, my sister is that way, my Mama is that way, one of my little brothers is homosexual and I know a couple pansexuals and asexuals."

"You're that way too?" He asked. He immediately felt lighter, sharing this with somebody.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of."

He nodded. "Right! And if it wasn't natural, the serum would've fixed it."

Teddy stared at him wide eyed and grinned. "Can I document that statement?"

He felt his face warm up. "Not yet… I'd rather speak it for myself."

She nodded and settled back into her spot. "I understand."

"I've known a few queers in my day, but—"

He paused when she got that cringe that told him he said something unacceptable by today's standards. "What did I say?"

"Be careful about the use of 'queer'. Some people in the LGBT community find it offensive and others are trying to reclaim it in a way. I personally don't mind, but I do not speak for everyone."

"Got it." He stashed away that mental note. "So… is it really okay to be that way nowadays? People are okay with it?"

She shrugged. "Younger generation, mostly. Older generation, depends. They don't think it's natural."

He hesitated "I'd never… I mean… it was illegal you know. And I just… and then the army would've…"

Teddy shushed him. "You don't have to explain. Experiences don't determine your sexuality, only what you feel."

He nodded.

"Mind you, bisexuality is frowned upon in both communities, which is stupid," she warned. "You'll hear a lot of nasty things."

"I've had a lot of bad things said to me and about people like me before," he said. "I don't care. I mostly care what they say to others."

"That's a lie and you know it. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words leave psychological wounds that never heal."

He choked. "Where did you hear that?"

"Children's show."

He chuckled and shook his head. Television was weird. "You know? It feels good that somebody knows."

She smiled. "I'm glad you're comfortable enough around me to tell me."

"Are you sure your Mutation isn't a chemical to get people to trust you and spill all their secrets?"

"I sure hope not. I hate keeping secrets. I'll keep them if I have to, but I'm not one to hide things."

"I don't mind. I don't like when people keep secrets from me."

She turned serious for a moment. "Make sure you try not to hold too many secrets from others too. Especially if it effects your teammates lives. I've seen it in movies, that's how shit happens and everything gets messed up. Like in Harry Potter, wait you've read book three right?"

He nodded in confirmation.

"If Sirius had just said from the beginning that he was after the Rat, then they might've avoided the full moon and Harry would be free of the Dursley's. Or any movie or book where the truth is told in the most hurtful way possible at the climax and turns loved ones against the main character. You know?"

He couldn't argue with that. "I'll keep it in mind."

"But, you don't have to tell them you like men. That's your own damn business."

"Right."

She rubbed the back of her neck and then tugged on her earlobe. "Since you shared that, I want to share something with you."

"You don't have to."

"I know." She mulled over her words. "I haven't dated anyone in four years. It's not that I don't want to, but… I'm twenty-seven and I still look twenty. I'm going to see everyone, except my Daddy, grow old without me in the next fifty years. I don't date, because I want to find someone who can keep up with me physically."

He never knew that. Teddy never talked about her Mutation save for her super strength and quick healing. Come to think of it…

"Teddy… are saying my… powers are like yours?" he asked. "You think I might be a Mutant?"

She sighed. "I told you I'm in grad school right?"

He nodded in confirmation.

"My dissertation is all about activated Mutants. My theory consists of people who became Mutants later in life post-puberty by an outside source. In your case: the super soldier serum and Vita-Rays. The Fantastic Four in Boston were activated by these kind of rays in space and Bruce Banner was activated by a serum and Gamma Rays." She explained.

"How would you be able to tell?" he asked.

"I don't have a lab so…" she paused and bit her thumb as she thought. "Next week. Clear your schedule for a few days, we're gonna go on a trip. I can have access to a lab where I can confirm my theory _and_ there's someone there you once knew."

He perked up at that. "Can you take off work on such short notice?"

She nodded. "The last time I took a sick day was when I was scheduled to work during one of my finals and that was two years ago. I haven't had a vacation in a year and a half. It'll be fun."

He hadn't been anywhere since he went to that secret cabin after the Battle of New York. He'd had a bit of a meltdown after that and needed to get away from it all. At least he had someone like Teddy waiting there to help him.

"Okay," he said. "Where are we going?"

"Westchester, New York."


	5. Chapter 4

_August 5th, 2013_

Steve packed his duffle bag and picked Teddy up early in the morning. She was waiting for him with her own duffle bag and a small, red cooler. They traded seats and she adjusted the drivers seat accordingly. It was almost comical how her hair flattened against the roof.

"I brought some tunes for the road," she said and connected her phone wirelessly to the car. He still wasn't sure how bluetooth worked (he imagined a phone that replaced your tooth), but thought it was neat anyway. "I didn't want to scare you, so I downloaded Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded album and I also downloaded the Beatles and put together a playlist of songs you know."

"Nicki Minaj is the lady with pink hair right?" He asked. "And the…"

"Impossibly gorgeous, hourglass figure, and amazing personality? Yeah. I love her. We're gonna listen to your kind of music on the way back okay?"

He agreed and Teddy started up her album. "If you don't like it after three songs, then I'll put on T Swift."

He didn't mind the music. He probably wouldn't download it or buy the record— sorry CD, but he wouldn't turn it off if it came up on the radio. So maybe a few songs made him cringe.

Teddy was very animated as she sang and rapped along even making the noises that covered up the explicit words. He could insinuate most of the words, but he was pleased that she thought about his comfort zone and respected it.

About two hours later, they were driving down a wooded area. Steve did a double take when he thought he saw a silver blur come down the road. He shook it off thinking it was a trick of the light. The whole place was really picturesque. The kind of thing you'd see in a postcard or a calendar.

Teddy paused in front of a set of wrought iron gates with a giant gold colored X on them. He read the sign on the brick wall

 _Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Children_

Teddy stopped the music, rolled down the window, and pressed an intercom button.

It crackled and a young voice responded. _"Who is it?"_

"Teddy Williams," she replied.

 _"Who?"_

Teddy sighed. "You know… Menhit?"

 _"Oh! Yeah, I heard about you, come on in."_

There was a loud buzz and the gates opened. Teddy drove up to the Mansion Steve recognized from the painting at her apartment. It was more like a castle with high stone walls and narrow windows.

A man with short cropped brown hair (that was probably going a little grey) and red tinted sunglasses opened the giant front door to meet them once they parked in the gravel driveway.

"That's Scott," Teddy said and smiled. "Hey! Long time, no see. How's Jean?"

"She's great," he said. "We're both doing well." He eyed… well, Steve was pretty sure Scott was eyeing him suspiciously.

"What happened to Allison?"

Teddy cringed. "She broke up with me a few years ago. It wasn't pretty. This is my friend Steve. I'm pretty sure he's an activated Mutant."

"Oh, well I'm sure Hank will be happy to let you use his lab."

"Awesome. Oh and tell Wolverine and the Professor we're here."

Scott shook his head, probably rolling his eyes. "You are pretty much his favorite aren't you? Knowing him your X-Men name should be Sunshine."

"No, Sunshine gains power from the sunlight, you know that."

Scott muttered something that sounded like "smart ass" and let the pair into the school. It was gorgeous inside and probably the fanciest place he'd ever been in.

Kids and teens passing through the area carrying books. Teenager was a new term for Steve when he woke up. Apparently, after the war, people had enough money that kids didn't need to go right to work and had money to spend which is where Advertising became big.

He glanced around the front hall wishing he had his sketchbook with him. The window in front of the grand staircase flooded the room with bright light, the carpet was probably oriental, the furniture was a heavy cherry or maybe mahogany and there were marble pillars standing guard at both hallways. Not to mention the numerous book cases.

"Steve." Teddy said snapping him out of it. She smiled. "Get a good look, it'll probably blow up next year."

"It doesn't blow up _that_ often."

Steve turned and jumped slightly. Here he thought Redskull or the Hulk looked odd. This man was blue all over with short spiked hair and even spikier teeth. His devil like tail whipped around and he had three fingers and toes on each appendage respectively.

"Kurt!" Teddy scooped the being up into a big hug.

"It's been a while," he said with a grin and looked to Steve. "Who's your handsome friend?"

"Steve."

Steve got over his initial shock and offered a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Kurt seemed pleased with this and shook it. "Nice to meet you too. I am Kurt. Teddy went to church with me when she went to school here. I teach Geography."

"She goes to church with me on Sundays too," Steve replied with a smile.

"We're here to see Hank," Teddy said. "And Wolverine."

"Ah, then I won't keep you." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Before he could react, Teddy led Steve down the hallway where they passed a number of children and teens. Some looked like any average teen and other had obvious physical Mutations. One girl had giant red eyes and a young boy flashed a set of piranha teeth. A predominant color seemed to be blue. Blue eyes, blue hair, blue skin. Doors perched open as teachers gave lessons to their students on various subjects from science to English.

Teddy moved comfortably, greeting familiar faces as she passed. Steve just stood behind her and nodded politely.

They soon reached a door that opened to another staircase this way was made of metal rather than wood.

They entered into a laboratory lit by bright white lights. Rows of screens and chemistry stations made Steve think of both Tony and Howard, a large case filled with blue and yellow uniforms stood off to the side and a giant war plane took up a big spot on the hangar.

"Hank?" Teddy called.

A big, blue gorilla-panther of a man stepped out from behind some kind of invention. He grinned when he saw Teddy.

"Theodora!" His voice was deep, almost a growl. "How are you? It's been a while."

"Yeah, I've been busy with school and work and research," Teddy said and gave him a hug.

"I understand. Who's this?"

"Steve."

Hank squinted a moment and adjusted his thick black glasses. "Is that Captain America?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think your theory is correct?"

"Yeah, but then that means that there is a dormant X-gene that can easily be resurfaced by some sort of outside factor. I'm still trying to figure out if it has to be activated by Rays or if it can be activated by a substance or if it has to be a mixture of both."

"Did you figure out why we're all blue?"

She shook her head and turned to Steve. "Was the serum blue?"

He shook his head. "I was color blind so I'm not sure. I think it might've been."

"It's a mystery," Teddy decided. She pinned her hair back with a green bandana and washed her hands. "Remove your jacket and sit on the table, please."

Familiar with this, Steve removed his leather jacket and sat down. He began to clench and unclench his hand in order to get the blood pumping. He also squeezed his eyes shut. He never liked watching his blood get drawn, just seeing it gush out like that… Teddy wrapped something around his bicep and then wiped the spot clean.

He waited for the pierce of the needle. And… it never came.

"All done."

He opened his eyes as she taped a bit of gauze down. There was the vial of his blood sitting in a small plastic tub.

"Huh."

"Didn't feel a thing, right?" Hank said with a twinge of pride. "Theodora is the best at that. For years, I had her be the one to give shots."

Steve was impressed and wished that she was his nurse when he was a child. If Mam wasn't around to give him shots then another lady did and they seemed to take the "needle will go right through him" seriously for how hard they gripped his arm.

"Hey, sunshine," a gruff voice said.

"Heeeey," Teddy replied. "Look who I brought."

Steve turned to greet the grouchy newcomer and stopped in his tracks. "Logan? Lucky Logan Howlett?"

"Well, I'll be damned," the scruffy man said with a smirk. "Captain America."

"I… I thought…" Steve grinned. "Last I saw you they transferred you off to Japan. I can guess now why bullets never seemed to touch you."

"Yeah, super healing abilities."

"Go catch up with your old man stories," Teddy said. "I'll be a couple hours."

Steve paused and gave Teddy a hug. "Thanks."

"No probert, Robert."

"Do you seriously still do that?" an amused Hank asked.

Teddy rolled her eyes. "Yes and I still swear using ice cream flavors, let it go."

Steve headed back upstairs with Logan. "So, Mutant?"

"Yeah. I never showed you the best part." Steve didn't think his eyes could get any wider until the burly man produced three metal claws from his knuckles.

"Wow…"

"What about you? Did Teddy give you her whole spiel on Activated Mutants?"

"Not the whole thing. Just that I possibly had a dormant X-gene that was activated by Erskine's super soldier serum. That it actually was ready when Red Skull used it and that Dr. Banner might've been on point too when he made a version of the serum."

"So you understood what she said."

Steve shrugged noncommittally. "A bit. I don't understand a lot of science, but I'm not dumb. Teddy is pretty good at explaining things."

Logan nodded. "She's a big ball of sunshine. If anyone is gonna be your friend for life it's her. Several lives actually."

"She really made a big difference for me," Steve said.

"Good."

They ended up chatting for a while when finally Teddy came in with her results.

"You're a Mutant," she said with a grin. "I won't say that I proved my theory because you're supposed to print the theory and _then_ prove it."

A Mutant. He was an Activated Mutant. Huh.

 _August 10th, 2013_

"What do you want?" Teddy asked as they perused the Starbucks menu. Steve had been a bit intimidated coming into the shop. She warned him that the coffees were ridiculously overpriced but absolutely delicious.

Steve shrugged. "I don't care. Surprise me."

Teddy grinned as she watched him grab their table. He totally walked right into this. She ordered their drinks and waited by the counter for them. The cold beverages were ready and Teddy suppressed her laughter as she made her way over to the table by the window.

"An Iced Americano for the Iced Americano," she said and started cackling. Steve looked unamused but accepted the iced coffee anyway.

 _August 30th, 2013_

Armed with snacks and beverages, Steve joined Teddy for a television marathon of what she deemed was a cultural necessity: _Star Trek._

"Okay, so the first few episodes are going to be inconsistent because they were trying to figure everything out, but trust me it is worth it in the end.

Steve found through his time here that he enjoyed television. Don't get him wrong, he still missed the old radio shows, but there was something about the worlds created that intrigued him. Teddy had raved about Star Trek and just about everyone he talked to at work had told him to put it on his list.

"How many episodes are there?" he asked.

"Well," Teddy pulled out her phone and checked on imdb. "There're eighty episodes of this series, then there are twelve movies, and then a hundred and seventy-six episodes of The Next Generation, and then there's Deep Space Nine and a few others."

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said this was a cultural necessity," he said with a laugh.

"Yep, this is the first TV series to have an interracial kiss on screen, but that isn't until season three," she informed him and pressed play.

Steve liked Star Trek. He liked it a lot. He imagined that this was something he would have watched with Peggy if… no. He wasn't going to think about what could have been.


	6. Chapter 5

_September 30th, 2013_

It had been a long day for Steve. His training had been especially tough today and there were several times where his reflexes weren't quite fast enough. His stomach and back were still sore. The futuristic training rooms were much different than boot camp and instead of having to worry about divots in the road or rocks, he had to worry about training bots courtesy of Stark Industries.

"You'll get there," Natasha said encouragingly. "You can't keep relying on your brute strength. It helps to learn a little bit of stealth."

"So you keep saying," he said with a huff.

"I'll keep teaching you what I can, but you are twice my size."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a giant ox."

Steve's ringtone for Teddy went off in his gym bag. She had set it to Pocketful of Sunshine, much to his amusement. He pulled off his helmet and answered. "Hey, Teddy."

 _"Can you come by the hospital?"_ she asked. _"It's important. If Natasha is there too can you both come in uniform?"_

"Yeah." Steve furrowed his brow. "Can I ask why?"

 _"One of the cancer patients is deteriorating fast. His Make-A-Wish was to meet you and I told his parents I'd try."_

"Sure. I'll come by," he said. "See you soon."

"What's going on?" Natasha asked.

"Suit up, we have a mission at the hospital," said Steve. He hoped his stealth suit would be okay.

Natasha nodded and briskly walked away to get her uniform.

They were ready within minutes and headed towards the hospital. Steve hadn't been to a modern day hospital. When he picked up Teddy, he never went inside. Too many bad memories, but this sounded important.

"We should make a quick stop," said Natasha and explained her idea.

"Good idea."

Natasha texted Teddy for Steve. The nurse met them in the waiting room. She wore scrubs decorated with teddy bears and candy. She always wore those kinds of scrubs when working in the children's ward. Hospital patients in the waiting room gaped at the two Avengers and many took out their phones to take pictures.

"Thanks for coming," said Teddy and eyed the gifts that they brought. "Good idea, the kids will love them."

Natasha and Steve stopped by a local toy store for some of their merchandise and then a print shop for sharpies and photos of themselves to sign and hand out.

Teddy led them through the hallways. Rather than the stark white Steve had come to know in his childhood, the walls were decorated with paintings and murals; some of the outdoors and others were more abstract, but colorful all the same.

"You actually got them?" A short woman with raven hair asked incredulously, gaping at the two superheroes.

"I have my ways," said Teddy. "How is he?"

"Awake and looking better than he had in days. When he heard you were calling Captain America, he perked up."

"Awesome, we're going to visit him and the other bed ridden kids first. We can gather the others in the big room," said Teddy. "See you in a bit, Louise."

Louise nodded and rushed off.

Teddy poked her head into a nearby room. "Hey, Darryl. How you doing?"

"Okay," a weak voice responded.

"You have a special visitor," said Teddy. "Two actually."

Steve and Natasha stepped into the room and their hearts began to hurt. Darryl was a black boy around ten, he was as thin as Steve used to be and just as sickly. His dark eyes brightened up when he saw the superheroes.

"Wow! Captain America _and_ Black Widow?"

"Yep," Teddy helped Darryl sit up. "I told you I'd try."

"Hey there, Darryl," said Steve.

"I can't believe it," said Darryl with a grin. "Mom! Get a photo."

Steve and Natasha were both glad the boy was chattering away. Neither of them could think of anything good to say without being patronizing or breaking down. They stood on either side of his bed.

"Would you like to hold my shield?" Steve offered.

Darryl was beyond thrilled. He hooked his arm through the straps and smiled for his Mom, who was crying softly as she took photos. Steve and Natasha both autographed photos for him.

"Keep on fighting, kid," Steve said before he left.

"I will, Captain." Darryl saluted.

The next few rooms were the same scenario. A child that was too sick to stand, but lit up like a birthday candle when they saw the two heroes. Some were teens and one couldn't be older than seven.

Teddy took them to the big room, which turned out to be a play room of sorts for the more long term residents. Children of all ages, some with bald heads, some in wheelchairs, and a handful dragging IV stands beside them cheered when Steve and Natasha entered the room. Teddy raised her hands and the cheers died down.

"Please, be patient as Captain America and Black Widow make their way around the room. I promise, everyone will have an opportunity for a picture and a question."

"We can take questions now," said Natasha. "That way, everyone can hear the answers."

Hands shot up in the air.

Steve and Natasha answered each question presented to them as well as they were able to without giving away any secrets.

"Will I ever be as strong as you?" A little blonde girl asked.

Steve swallowed hard and sat down in an empty chair. "I wouldn't count it out." He removed his helmet so they could all see the real him. "Believe it or not, I was very sickly as a kid. I had just about everything you could get; scarlet fever, stomach ulcers, arrhythmia, asthma, and anaemia. I used to have to drink a pint of liver juice every day."

The kids made disgusted sounds and shuddered. That sounded absolutely awful.

"It was pretty gross. Doctors used to give my mam all sorts of diagnosis. He won't live past five, past eight, past thirteen, but I made it to my twenties and then I met Dr. Erskine. I was blessed to have that opportunity. Every day of my life was a battle and I made it. I believe all of you can make it too. Whether it be by sheer willpower or the amazing advances in medicine."

The nurses and parents broke into applause. Steve smiled and put his helmet back on for the photos.

The press caught whiff of this good deed, but Steve and Natasha were gone before this act of kindness became twisted into a publicity stunt. The photos taken by the families of the patients were posted and shared alongside stories of their experiences. The hospital received a jump in donations as well.

 _October 31st, 2013_

Teddy insisted she and Steve watch a Halloween movie marathon. She talked him into dressing up in a costume since she was going to be passing out candy while they watched the movies.

Around early afternoon, he arrived in jeans, a checkered shirt, his boots, and a cowboy hat. He hadn't wanted to spend much on a costume, but also didn't want to half ass it. He smiled when he saw Teddy's apartment door. It was decorated with a little orange and black wreath labelled "The Witch is In".

He knocked on the door and Teddy opened it up with a grin. He recognized her costume from one of the Disney movies she showed him. She was definitely the muse Calliope. Her hair was held back with a white headband and her Grecian dress looked exactly like the movies.

"Well, Howdy doo partner?" she said in an exaggerated accent.

"Do you have the rest of the Greek chorus in there with you?" he teased. "I think I might've chosen the wrong costume."

She laughed and let him in. "You look cute. We can go matching next Halloween. Besides, Ida, Georgia, and Inez have similar costumes from a few years ago when we all lived in the city so I just threw this on. Although… you'd make a pretty good Hercules. Zero to Hero and all that."

Steve chuckled. He did relate to the Disney Hercules in a way.

Teddy had her folding table set up with dinner, snacks and beverages for them and a giant bowl of Halloween candy for the kids. For them she had popcorn, pretzels,

"You'd think that with as much as we eat I'd be having ten people over," Teddy commented and clicked her tongue. "At least it won't go to waste."

He could tell she wished that she had more friends over, but at the same time he was glad it wasn't crowded. He passed quite a few places that advertised parties and they all sounded like there'd be at least a hundred people there.

So far, they watched Hocus Pocus (he loved it), Nightmare Before Christmas (weird, but good), Practical Magic (it scared him a little, but it was also good), and Misery (that one was more suspenseful and had him on the edge of his seat. He yelped a little when the author was hobbled and found himself shouting at the screen more than once).

Throughout these movies, Teddy would answer the door and pass out candy to adorable little kids. He recognized a lot of the Avengers. Apparently him and Black Widow were the most popular choice. Teddy cooed as she filled each child's bag or bucket with small handfuls of sticky sweet sweets. She even had a side bowl for kids with nut allergies. That bowl had lollipops and pretzels.

Around eight was when the children stopped coming and they could fully relax.

By then, they were watching IT. Teddy had never seen it and Steve figured clowns weren't so bad. Holy shit, he was wrong, he was so wrong.

Him and Teddy were huddled together in the middle of her couch, crunching loudly on their popcorn. Steve was pretty sure his cell phone rang, but he was too absorbed in the movie to bother with it. He never liked clowns and now he was terrified of them. He was also sure he'd be wary of storm drains now.

 _"Be afraid!" Pennywise snarled." You all taste so much better when you're afraid."_

 _BANG!_

Steve wasn't sure who screamed louder, but somehow he ended up in his friend's lap. Popcorn was spewed across the floor and Slagathor was having the time of her life playing with the pieces.

"Whoa, didn't mean to scare you."

Teddy paused the movie and Steve turned on the side lamp.

Tony Stark stood in the doorway dressed as an old timey vampire, a fair, redheaded woman Steve assumed to be Pepper in a witch costume stood by, and then there was a woman in no costume with chocolate curls, sienna skin, and a cold stare who looked very familiar.

"IDA!" Teddy squealed and shoved past Tony Stark. She lifted the half-foot shorter woman off her feet in a bear hug and spun around.

Steve casually flicked off his cowboy hat behind the couch, not in the mood for snarky comments. He went about cleaning the popcorn off of the floor.

"Come on in!" Teddy steered the trio into her apartment. "Mind the steps. Oh, God this is awesome. I missed you so much Ida."

"I missed you too, Teddy," she replied though her expression remained fairly neutral. "Sorry to barge in like this, but Mr. Stark insisted when Captain Rogers wasn't at his apartment."

"Nah, man it's cool. Hey, everyone is welcome to some snacks or candy."

"I was thinking more like crashing a Halloween party," Stark said. "I heard Steve was hanging out with a nurse and I wasn't sure if it was the fun kind or Annie Wilkes.

"We just watched that movie and don't you dare compare her to that," Steve snapped. Stark's eyebrows shot up in surprise, probably from Steve understanding a reference.

"Okay, okay." He held up his hands. "Well, your friend is welcome to come along."

Steve glanced at Teddy. "I don't know, Stark. You and I don't get along too well."

"Well," Teddy said. "I guess you can say your personalities are a—" she grabbed her sunglasses off the counter put them on. " _Stark_ contrast."

Pepper snorted and Ida just rolled her eyes.

Tony chuckled. "I like you. Come on, Cap. What'dya say?"

Steve suppressed a sigh. On one hand, he knew this was probably Tony's obnoxious olive branch and he should accept it. On the other… he glanced at the screen where Pennywise was grinning maliciously.

"You know what? Food sounds good." He grabbed the remote and turned off the tv.

"Where's your costume, Capsicle?" Stark asked.

Thinking quickly he replied. "A homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else." Boy, he was glad he watched the Addams family last week.

That also got a stunned look from Stark so win-win.

 _This is Halloween._

 _This is Halloween._

Teddy answered her cell. "This is Nurse Williams." Her eyes widened. "You're kidding. So soon? Okay. Alright. I'll be there ASAP." She hung up. "Sorry everyone. Duty calls. Uh… you're welcome to stay here if you want. Snacks in the fridge and whatever. If you take something out of the bookcase put it back where you found it."

She grabbed a pair of scrubs from her dresser drawer and rushed to the bathroom to change. She emerged a few minutes later, shoved her feet into her white nurse shoes, grabbed her bag, and hauled ass out of there.

"Must've been a pretty big emergency," Ida said and picked up the ginormous cat.

"Well, since she offered." Tony started poking around the apartment.

"Tony," Pepper said warningly.

"It's okay, Miss Potts," Ida said. "Teddy isn't a very private person. She keeps secrets, but she doesn't have very many of her own."

Even so, Steve didn't like how Stark was opening doors and cabinets.

"How is someone this organized?" he commented and put a labeled jar of oatmeal mix back where he found it. He made his way over to the desk and flicked through the papers. "And where's her room?"

"This is her room," Steve and Ida responded at the same time.

"It's a pullout couch," Ida clarified.

Tony made a face.

Pepper gave a resigned sigh and sat down beside Steve. "Sorry to ruin your evening, Captain."

"We were just watching movies," Steve shrugged. "I think Teddy wanted more company anyway." He gestured to the cutesy Halloween based snacks she had made.

"That is precious," Pepper cooed holding up a broomstick made out of pretzel sticks and string cheese.

"Activated Mutants?" Stark murmured softly.

"Her research." Steve replied. Now that he thought about it, he felt a little weird being in his best friends house without her there. Wait, when did Teddy become his best friend?

"Did she prove it?" Ida asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded.

"Prove what?"

"That I'm an activated Mutant," Steve supplied. "I found out a couple months ago."

"That must've been a pretty big shock for you old man. How's the future treating you?"

Steve paused. Did he want to break Stark's brain? Yes. Yes he did. "It's treating me really well actually. I have a Netflix and Hulu account, I watch Elementary and RuPaul's Drag Race, I watch Youtube cat videos, my twitter page has ten followers, and I found out I'm bisexual."

Stark's jaw dropped as he emitted a high pitched noise. Steve grinned. Success.

"You watch RuPaul?" Ida asked showing mild interest.

"Some of it is a little out there for me, but the amount of effort they put into it and the comedy is worth it. Teddy and I are going to a drag show next month."

"Where do I even start?" Stark murmured.

"Maybe by accepting the fact that I probably don't match up to the pedestal the world put me on," Steve said. "Just like I'm trying to accept the fact that you are your own person no matter how much of Howard you have in you."

The billionaire looked even more shocked. Steve had said his piece, so he grabbed the remote and skimmed through Teddy's movies. "So, Ida. How did you and Teddy meet? All she says is how you're her best friend and soul-sister."

"We were dorm mates at Xavier's. I was a troubled child and didn't get out much. Teddy didn't like that, said it wasn't healthy. She pulled me out of my shell." She remained neutral, but Steve could see a small flicker of fondness.

"Wait, are you a Mutant too?" Pepper asked.

"Oops."

Pepper rolled her eyes and smacked her own forehead. "Of course you are. How else would you be the best assistant for a Fortune 500 company? So… Super learner?"

"Have you seen Chuck with Zachary Levi?" she asked.

"I have," Steve volunteered. "I finished the first season. So, you're Chuck?"

Ida nodded. "Pretty much. I don't retain anything unless I work at it everyday."

Stark held up a page from Teddy's notes. "I was wondering why your eyes sometimes looked like they were blue. Has Williams figured out why that is?"

"No. It bugs her to no end," Ida replied. She took the remote from Steve and propped her feet up on the ottoman. "I am officially off duty. I think I'll just wait for Teddy to get home."

"I think I will too," Stark said. "I want to talk to her more about this."

Steve noticed the papers in disarray. "Stark, put those back as you found them."

"They're in order," he replied.

Steve shook his head. "Doesn't matter. They have to be neat at ninety degree angles."

Ida nodded in agreement. "Her clothes and shoes are organized by color."

"Please do it, Tony," Pepper said.

"Alright, alright," he fixed the papers. "We'll go to a late party once Theodora is back."

"I am actually great with staying in a total strangers studio apartment in an unsafe part of town." Pepper said. "With… tiny cheese and pretzel broomsticks and pumpkin rice krispies. What is that? A meat tray based off of Silence of the Lambs?"

"That was a good movie," Ida commented.

"Just a few hours, Pepper," Stark promised.

True to her word, Teddy returned in a few hours. She entered her apartment looking shell shocked and she smelled really really bad. She was also wearing different clothes and no shoes.

"Ew, what's that smell?" Ida asked.

Teddy whimpered and dropped her purse. "I kinda quit my job. I'll explain after I take a bath in vinegar and another in bleach after five showers." Before she could move any further, she retched into the sink.

"Oh, shit." Ida jumped out of her chair and ran over to her best friend. "Seriously, what happened? If it made _you_ quit it must've been really bad."

"I can't… I can't… Ida remember those nurse horror stories I told you about when I learned them at school?"

"Yes."

"The story with the meth addict that was…"

Ida's eyes widened. "No…"

"They left me by myself."

"No."

"I couldn't just leave him wallowing in his own filth."

"No!"

Steve stopped listening after that. He could imply enough and really didn't want to know all the details.

"And then my boss yelled at me for some stupid reason and I kind of quit. I'm really stressed, okay?"

"Go shower," Ida said. "I'll make you some tea and Steve can help me clean up the Halloween snacks."

"Okay…" she shuffled off to the bathroom. "If a teenager comes to the door just give them all the candy. I don't care."

Stark pulled Pepper aside and started whispering to her animatedly. The sound of the shower and ice box drowned out their words so Steve couldn't subtly eavesdrop. He put away the snacks in Tupperware and plastic bags and put them in their proper place.

Ida got out a pair of pajamas for Teddy and set them outside the door.

An hour later, Teddy finally emerged from the bathroom still looking sick to her stomach. She glanced over at Stark and Pepper. "You didn't have to stay."

"Do you want a new job?" Pepper asked.

"Doing what?"

"I need an assistant that can keep up with me and Pepper is worried about my "health"," Tony said.

"You're not sleeping or eating regularly," Pepper interrupted.

"You want me to babysit the richest man in North America?" Teddy asked. She took her tea, sat down next to Steve and slung her legs across his lap rather than making him move.

"Kind of," Pepper said. "We'll make it to your benefit though. Tony finds your research and ideas interesting and will give you full access to his lab."

"Would you really trust a complete stranger with that?" Teddy asked. "For all you know I could be a sleeper agent."

Ida rolled her eyes. "No, you couldn't."

"Romanoff trusts you, Cap trusts you, Hank McCoy trusts you," Tony listed off. "Why not?"

Steve looked over at Teddy. "I think you should accept it."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well yeah, you want to be a geneticist and Doctor Banner has some of the best research on the subject," he said. He wanted to see his friend be successful.

"You know what?" she grinned. "Okay. Draw me up a contract stating my job, my benefits, pay and all that good stuff."

"I'll get on that," Ida volunteered. "It'll be great having my best friend nearby in Malibu."

"Malibu?" Teddy said.

"Malibu?" Steve echoed. He thought Avengers Tower was completed. That he and Teddy would live even closer and have more time to go on their morning runs and she would show him how to apply for college classes and teach him more.

"Don't worry Cap, you'll have your girlfriend back in a couple months. Avengers Tower still needs to be furnished. I brought a catalogue for you."

Steve scowled. "First off, thank you for offering me a place in the tower. I accept. Second, Teddy isn't my girlfriend. I'm still not over Peggy yet and Teddy has become my best friend."

"I'm everyone's best friend," Teddy said lightly poking Steve's cheek. "Will you help me pack tomorrow? If it's only for a couple months then I'll rent a storage unit and just take the necessities."

He smiled and lightly batted her hand away. "Sure."

"Great," Pepper said and steered Tony towards the door. "We'll discuss the contract and conduct an interview tomorrow morning at breakfast. You look exhausted, so we'll be out of your hair."

Teddy squealed quietly and freaked out quietly so as to not disturb her neighbors. "Look at that, apparently karma is a real thing."


	7. Chapter 6

_November 3rd, 2013_

Teddy gave Steve a giant hug. "I'll text you when I land, alright?"

"I'll try not to be a stranger."

She smiled. "Have fun learning how to be a spy in D.C. Text me photos of any fun disguises you learn."

He chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

She shivered and took a deep breath. "See you at Christmas. We'll go to midnight mass."

"See you at Christmas."

Steeling her nerves, she boarded the private jet that would take her to Malibu. She didn't imagine that anything this amazing could possibly happen to her. She was working for _the_ Tony Stark. She was going to have access to the best technology in the world. Luckily, Call-me-Tony Stark pulled some strings and ensured she'd be able to finish her semester online. After that she just had to finish her dissertation and become a certified PhD Doctor.

Tony Stark himself picked her up from the airport. She was a little disappointed it wasn't Ida, but this would be a good chance to get to know Tony without any outside influences.

"So," he said. "Your resumé is pretty impressive. Mentored by Hank McCoy, PhD in Genetics, minor in Mechanical Engineering, and a Bachelor in Nursing, Several awards in robotics, _and_ volunteer."

She nodded. "My daddy said I have to work twice as hard to—" she paused. "—get what I deserve."

"You don't have to cover it up," Tony said. "I get how privileged I am."

"Okay. Good to know." She shuffled a bit and frowned as she found her legs couldn't go any farther forward in the compact car. She also found she couldn't move her seat back any farther.

"I guess I should've taken a bigger car," Tony commented.

"Maybe." She wasn't about to complain out loud. She was getting the opportunity of a life time and she didn't have to do any ass kissing.

"By the way," he said. "I forgot to ask, how big are your hands?"

Puzzled, she looked down at her hands. "Pretty big, but I have long fingers. Why?"

"Just in case I need your help with my heart."

"I don't know if I'm qualified for that."

"You'll be fine, Pepper was able to do it."

"Uh huh." She pulled out her phone and opened up her text messages to Steve.

 **Steve, I think I have to stick my hand in Tony's chest cavity and that is not a euphemism.**

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: Yikes.**

 **Right?**

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: Hang in there. :)**

Teddy rolled her eyes.

 **Natasha, Steve doesn't use emoticons.**

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: You got me ;). He's busy being fitted for his stealth suit.**

Natasha sent a few pics of the suit, most of them of Steve's butt. She snickered and deleted them.

 **Cool beans. Just tell him I said hi.**

"Who are you texting?" Tony asked in a sing song voice.

"Natasha, apparently."

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: It's actually Steve this time. Natasha didn't text you anything weird did she?**

Teddy smiled and typed in her answer.

 **Just how cute your butt looks in the stealth suit. Don't worry, I got rid of them.**

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: Thanks, you're a real pal.**

 **I'll text you photos of my new home, okay?**

 **Big, Blond, and Buff: Okay.**

She looked up and found them on a road passing various sea side mansions in varying levels of futuristic and chic. They passed through a set of gates. The drive way was long and showed off the property. Teddy could see numerous statues, a tennis court, and a Helicopter Pad.

The mansion itself looked like a stylized version of the Enterprise. She wondered if the inside was square or if the walls were rounded as well. Did they have to order special picture frames or did they just keep sculptures?

"You'll be staying in the guest house with Ida," Tony said. "She tried her own place in the city, but Pepper is always busy."

"Oh nooo, having to live next to a mansion in a safe neighborhood? Such a nightmare."

Tony chuckled and drove down a tunnel that went straight into his lab.

Teddy gaped at all of the equipment and the line up of Iron Man suits. "Wow…"

 **"Welcome home, sir."**

Teddy jumped and looked at the ceiling. "Hello."

 **"Hello, I am Jarvis, Mister Stark's butler."**

"Awesome possum. I'm Theodora."

 **"Scanning."** Something chimed. **"Theodora Roosevelt Williams. Age: 27. Birthday: January 15th. Blood Type: O."**

"Your middle name is Roosevelt?" Tony snickered.

If she could blush Teddy would be bright red, instead she played it off. "Yeah, well. I didn't look like an Alice."

"Do you have a brother named George Washington Williams?"

"Georgia," she muttered.

Tony cackled. "Alright, welcome to my lab Mr. President."

It could be worse. If he called her Teddy Bear she'd stick him with a pin.

The billionaire inventor led her over to a table. "I guess we'll put you in the system and then I'll teach you how to use the holograms. Just put your hand on this table."

Holograms?! She grinned and placed her palm on the smooth, black table.

 **"All access granted."**

Tony typed on a funky looking keyboard that was curved and had symbols on it as well as the alphabet. A small blue cube was projected onto the center.

"So, just enhance it," he said.

"Enhance it? Okay." She held out her hands and stretched them out like she was zooming in. The cube stretched out rather than grew bigger. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Later that afternoon, the small U-Haul arrived with Teddy's things. She unloaded the boxes with ease, Ida only taking a few of the lighter items to speed up the process.

The Guest House was just as beautiful and futuristic as the main house with round walls and furniture. Her bedroom was bigger than any bedroom she'd ever had and she didn't even have to share it.

Slagathor happily explored her new domain, getting her long fur into the leather furniture. Teddy was pleased that the floors were wooden, making cleaning up the hair easier than if they were carpet.

The floor to ceiling windows overlooked the ocean and each room had a monitor that could play TV or control the conditions of the room. She was also willing to bet that they were voice and motion controlled.

Once the pair of friends were sure they were alone, they grabbed hands and jumped up and down like they were fifteen again.

"We're well off! Well off I tells ya!" Teddy squealed.

"Who would've thought our "what-ifs" would become reality?" Ida said. "It's like a fairy tale."

"Right? Come on, dance with me. I'm happy!"

Ida pretended to be reluctant, but gave in and danced with Teddy around their home. They always talked about living together and getting to see each other every day. Now they could and it wasn't a crappy apartment. They were in one of the most technologically advanced houses in the Western Hemisphere.

Ida and Teddy made dinner and watched one of the many movies available to them. They were finally relaxed.

Tony was definitely troubled. Teddy knew that from her first night there. He gave her a section all to herself for research and a company credit card for equipment she might need.

Due to jet lag, excitement, and her body being used to a twelve hour work schedule she stayed up after Ida went to bed and organized her side labelling everything with her trusty label maker. Around midnight, Tony came in and sat down to tinker.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

He shook his head and said nothing else. He made these nasty looking protein shakes that he claimed helped.

It was the same routine. Tony would claim he was going to bed, then two hours later he was back down in the lab. She couldn't let this go on. After a week, she finally said something.

"Tony," she said. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm fine," he replied.

She shook her head and intercepted him, standing in front of his computer. "You didn't answer my question. Everyone goes to bed and you stay awake. I go to bed and you're down here, I wake up and you're down here."

He tried to brush past her, but she wouldn't budge. "I was hired to help you. Let's get you some air."

He protested so she picked him up underneath the arms and carried him out of the lab. He went limp like a rag doll.

"This is a bit undignified," Tony commented.

"I won't tell." She finally set him down once they were on the patio. "Sit."

She sat across from him. "What's going on with you?"

He clammed up and crossed his arms. She rested her elbows on her knees and stared him down.

"I fall asleep and I see the wormhole," he said finally. "That I didn't make it in time to close it."

"Ah, PTSD." She nodded. "You should see a therapist."

"No. The press would have a field day with that."

"Then talk to me. Does Pepper know?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to worry her."

Teddy thought about arguing, but this man was an entirely different set of stubborn from Steve. He was so deep in denial about his troubles that it would only take something big for him to do something about it.

"Okay," she said finally. "And I won't tell her unless I think you're a danger to yourself, alright? Eventually, you'll need to tell somebody but it doesn't have to be me."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

 _November 8th, 2013_

Teddy was expecting some sort of press coverage, but she wasn't expecting it to be so nasty.

 _ **Tony Stark takes on New "Assistant". Are him and Pepper through?**_

It mentioned her being a Mutant and basically questioned her intelligence on multiple levels. It was like an article by Rita Skeeter.

Unfortunately, she couldn't trap these people in a jar for five months. She exited out of the article and huffed. It hurt. A lot. But she wasn't about to let _them_ know it. She knew the truth, she had an excellent job, so it didn't matter.

Steve messaged her about it, but she told him not to worry about it.

 _December 1st, 2013_

Ida finally had a day off, so she and Teddy went into town to go Christmas shopping. It was awesome to be able to wear a light jacket during Christmas time. She wished Steve were going to be around. They were supposed to see Frozen together.

"It sucks," said Ida. "We're finally living the dream and yet we barely get to see each other."

Teddy draped an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders. "I know. At least we get one meal in with each other. It's better than getting to see each other a couple times a year."

"True that."

"We're millennials living the dream," Teddy continued. "This is pretty freaking awesome."

"Yeah, it is."

"Hopefully with my research I'll be able to make a difference," said Teddy.

"I know you will."

"Want to go look at expensive clothes we can finally afford, but won't buy because clothes shouldn't be that expensive?"

Ida nodded. "Yes."

 _December 20th, 2013_

Teddy entered the lab tapping away on a tablet. "Tony, I'm serious you have been awake for seventy-two hours— oh, my God!"

She barely hit the floor in time to avoid getting clonked in the head by flying armor pieces. Tony must've been at it again. He did a fancy flip and got the face plate on.

"What the H-E- double hockey sticks are you doing man?" she asked and stood up. The lab was an absolute mess and— wait was that blood?

Tony turned toward her and got hit by a missing armor plate, the suit fell apart around him. "Okay, seventy-two hours is a little too long to be working."

"Ya think?" Teddy huffed and helped him up. "I'm calling it. You are going to take two melatonin and get some sleep."

"Yessir Mr. President," Tony said with a salute. "DUM-E, go clean up that blood."

"Why is there blood?" Teddy asked tiredly.

"It's a new system implanted in my arm," Tony explained. "I can call Mark 42 to me whenever I need him."

"Yes, because being connected to a killer robot is always a good idea. Listen, the whole cyborg thing is cool, but you need sleep." Teddy put her hands on her hips. "Bed. Now."

"Do I get some milk and a bedtime story?" Tony asked.

Smart ass. Teddy looked at him and smirked. "Sure, do you want me to carry you?"

"Okay." He jumped into her arms.

"Man-child," she snorted and took him up to his room. "I know a magic trick. Wanna see?"

"I would _love_ to see a magic trick," said Tony.

"I can make anyone burp," said Teddy. "Watch this."

She held him tightly and patted his back firmly. Tony let out a loud belch and laughed.

"Neat trick."

"Told you." Teddy set him up in bed, brought him two melatonin and spiked his warm milk with Xanax. In order to mess with him even more, she pulled up a story on her tablet.

"I was joking about the story," he said.

"I know." Teddy cleared her throat. "The cats nestle close to their kittens now the lambs have laid down with the sheep. You're warm and cozy in your bed, my dear. Now go the fuck to sleep."

Tony broke out into laughter. "I am so glad I chose you for my lab assistant."

"The lights are dark in the town, child," Teddy continued with a smile. "The whales lie in the deep. I'll read you one last book if you swear you'll go the fuck to sleep."

"Okay, okay. I promise."

Teddy got up and went down to the lab. She looked around at the mess and sighed before getting to work cleaning up. Poor guy needed professional help, not a geneticist with a nursing degree. She could set broken bones, clean and stitch a bullet wound, and sit by a persons bedside while they passed on, but she wasn't a shrink.

 _December 22nd, 2013_

Teddy really should've told Pepper the issue sooner or even pushed Tony to talk to _her_ more about his problems. She was expecting an explosion of emotion, but instead he imploded quietly; self-destructing until there was too much damage to go back.

"Hurry up," Ida snapped.

"I am," she shot back as they packed up Ida's powder blue Lexus with as much of their belongings as they could. Teddy was relieved that she put the majority of her precious items in storage back in New York.

Once the cat was wrangled into the back seat, Teddy jumped into the drivers side and started the car.

"Go, go, go!" Ida shouted, the stress getting to her. "Pepper said she's going to meet us at the airport."

Stomping down on the gas, Teddy tore down the long driveway. They barely made it to the gates when a massive explosion sounded out behind them.

"Sugar Honey Iced Tea, What was our training for exploding buildings?" Teddy shouted.

"Get the hell out!" Ida reminded her.

With a bombing like that there was no way the airport was going to be safe. She was willing to bet whoever killed Tony and Pepper would be after them as well. They weren't going to be as easy, but they didn't want that.

Teddy drove North, gripping the steering wheel so tightly the material crunched down. Ida sat beside her breathing heavily as she tried not to panic.

It grew colder and colder the farther they got, pushing the speed limit as far as they dared. Teddy finally stopped for gas around midnight. Ida ran into the station to get some water and snacks they weren't likely to eat. Once she was back in the car, Teddy burst into tears.

She was vaguely aware of Ida rubbing her back, but she couldn't be consoled. Everything was so messed up. She had a good job at the hospital. Why didn't she just transfer to another one? Nooo, she had to get caught up with a troubled billionaire.

"What are we going to do?" Ida asked.

"Find help…"

"Who can we call? The X-Men won't want to get caught up in this."

No, but she knew somebody who had the means to get them out and to a safe house. She snatched up her purse and dug around for her phone. Hands shaking too badly she used the voice application and put it on speaker.

 _"Holy fuck you're alive,"_ a relieved Steve responded.

"Yeah, we're alive," Teddy said. "Ida's here too. Listen, can you help us out?"

 _"Yeah, of course. Where are you?"_

Teddy sniffed and looked around but it was too dark. "I don't know… Northern California I think."

 _"Natasha is locking down on your location,"_ he said. _"Just stay on the phone."_

"Can do."

 _"You're going to be okay. Do you know who did this?"_

"The Ten Rings," Ida replied. "They've been all over the TV. They hurt Happy, Tony's bodyguard, and he just snapped and told them where he lived."

"It's been a long time coming," Teddy said. "He was imploding right before us—"

 _"Natasha has your location. Keep driving North, I'll meet you at the border of Oregon."_

"Okay, what road?"

Ida wrote it down on her hand when he told her. "Got it."

"We'll see you there," Teddy said.

 _"Okay."_

She hung up, started the car, and continued driving.

Hours later, snow began to fall. The way her headlights shone on the darkness and the snow flying towards her, Teddy was reminded of warp speed. Ida shivered as the temperature outside dropped. They weren't prepared for this kind of weather. Her friend reached into the back and pulled out the quilt her grandmother made.

Slagathor meowed loudly, unhappy with her situation. The feeling was mutual.

"Are we there yet?" Teddy asked.

Ida checked on the gps. "Actually yes, turn right."

Teddy did so and pulled over. She grabbed her baseball bat and got out of the car. A figure came towards her and she immediately relaxed. Only Steve had that amazing shoulder to waist ratio.

She ran over and hugged him tightly. "Thank God, you're here."

He returned the hug and rubbed her back. "The safe house is just up this road. Are you okay if I drive?"

She nodded and climbed into the back of the car with the cat.

"Hi, Steve," Ida said quietly.

"Hello, Ida." He replied.

He continued down the road a ways and then turned left onto a backroad then right onto a small dirt road that could easily be missed. Steve drove slowly and carefully avoided slick patches. Soon enough, they came up to a small cabin. Teddy could smell smoke that could only come from a chimney fire.

Steve parked underneath a sheltered garage and got out. The two women followed him inside and immediately went over to the fire.

Teddy glanced at Steve and did a double take. "When did you grow a beard?"

He flushed and rubbed his jaw. "I've been busy with training. Does it look bad?"

"No."

Steve gave her a suspicious look, but didn't say anything else. He noticed the women shivering and went back into what Teddy assumed was his room.

Both women were relieved when he brought out a couple of long sleeved shirts and plaid flannel.

"Thank you," Ida said and pulled on the clothes. Surprisingly, they fit very well. Steve seemed to have a habit of buying shirts a size too small. Teddy wasn't sure if that was just habit or if he enjoyed showing off his muscle mass.

Probably a mix of both.

"What's SHIELD doing about the ten rings?" Ida asked, her mask of neutrality back in place.

Steve sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. They said that Tony provoked the Ten Rings and so we shouldn't intervene."

"That's stupid!" Teddy shouted. "What about the people at the Chinese Theatre that were blown up?"

"That's a different matter, apparently." Steve didn't look any happier about the situation. "I would think we'd need to call the Avengers."

"But Director Fury won't allow it?" Ida said.

"Correct." He pulled the lid off a pot on the stove and stirred whatever was inside.

Teddy plunked down on the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. "What do we do now? Just wait until the coast is clear?"

Ida sat down beside her. "I guess so."

Teddy laid her head on her best friend's thigh and closed her eyes. "Sometimes I wish I was normal."

"I know." Ida said.

Ida eventually fell asleep, but Teddy was still too wired with anxiety. Plus, with her mutation she could go on minimal sleep. It wasn't healthy mentally, but it helped when working at the hospital.

Steve sat up with her as he was no stranger to sleepless nights. Teddy was relieved he was nearby for them, though she was sure he would've found a way. He was a good friend like that.

 _December 27th_

Teddy, Ida, and Steve were eating a quiet breakfast when Steve's cellphone went off. He glanced at the caller i.d. (something he found incredibly useful) and answered.

"Hey, Natasha. What's the update?"

 _"Stark is alive and so is Pepper. You missed a hell of a show. We need Teddy, though."_

"Why?"

 _"She's a geneticist and she's familiar with the concept A.I.M. was using to regenerate limbs for veterans. Plus, I hear she's very gentle."_

He ignored Natasha's suggestive tone. "When can we expect you?"

 _"ETA half an hour."_

Steve hit the end call button.

"What are we going to do with our stuff?" Teddy asked.

Steve remembered she had sensitive hearing. "I don't know. I'm sure SHIELD will take care of it. Avengers Tower is almost complete, so I assume it'll go there."


	8. Chapter 7

Since Christmas was awful this year, Tony wanted to make it up to everyone on New Years' Eve. However, Teddy forced him on bed rest because "you just got shrapnel removed from your chest, Tony." "You had to have your sternum replaced, Tony." "Tony, don't throw your fudge mint heart into the ocean, it's not environmentally friendly."

Pepper, of course, was on Teddy's side and nobody went against Pepper lest they face her wrath. So, New Years plans were quiet. Instead of a big party, Tony decided to have an open house and let everyone see their new apartments. Then, they would have a quiet dinner, toast the new year with sparkling grape juice, and sleep for like a week.

Steve was personally relieved about this. He wasn't sure how he'd react if Tony decided to launch off fireworks.

At two p.m. on New Years Eve, Tony, Pepper, Ida, Teddy, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, and himself were crowded inside the elevator while Tony talked animatedly. He was temporarily in a wheelchair while his body got used to painless blood flow.

"They have all the best appliances, of course. And for added privacy, Ida suggested mud rooms. That way it's harder to walk in on somebody going at it with—"

Pepper cleared her throat and Tony dropped the thought.

"Anyway, there's an express elevator that goes from the lobby, to the parking garage, and another to these apartments. There's a special elevator for the cars from the ground floor. Only people authorized through Jarvis can use it. The basic layout of each apartment is the same as you will see."

The doors opened to reveal a small room with a mirror and table on one side and a row of hooks across from it. The door was a polished wood with a stained glass window and a crystal door knob.

Tony unlocked it with a key and was wheeled into the living space by Teddy.

It… was… massive.

"Every room has a living room, a sun room facing north, a kitchen, two master bedrooms, and two guest bedrooms joined by a jack-and-jill bathroom," Tony said. "Brucie your room is above the lab, just like you wanted."

To Steve's surprise, the apartment was tastefully decorated with a green and white color palette and the furniture was all dark wood and brown leather. Steve initially thought Tony seemed to be the type to make everything gaudy as possible. Howard was like that and Steve _had_ seen the Iron Man suit, but the whole place was nice. Except Teddy's ugly green pull-out couch was set up in the sunroom. He wasn't about to comment on that though.

The team maneuvered their way around Teddy and Ida's boxes for the tour. Steve became distracted by the sunroom, imagining an art studio for himself and accidentally knocked over one of the boxes.

"Shit, sorry."

He knelt down to pick up the items. A floral printed box had spilled out photos and tickets stubs and a few miscellaneous objects.

"What is all this?" Natasha asked picking up a photo of a blonde woman.

Teddy snatched it back and shoved everything into the box. "It's nothing."

"I thought you got rid of that stuff," said Ida. "It's been two years."

"I know…"

"Teddy, it's been a long time," Ida said. "Nearly four years."

It still hurt. Honestly, she forgot she even had the box. She pursed her lips and dumped the box in the kitchen trash. "Why don't we see the upstairs, Ida? Pepper, make sure Tony doesn't kill himself in the next fifteen minutes."

The two women hurried up the spiral staircase to the upper floors. Steve followed feeling bad for unintentionally bringing up bad memories.

The upper floor was a wide hallway with a closet on the end and a single door on either side. One of them was open, he walked in to find a spacious bedroom that had a sitting room attached. There was a set of french doors leading to the bathroom. The walls was painted a pale beige with white crowning and the ceiling was a grassy green.

Teddy and Ida lay in the middle of the floor adjacent to each other.

"I'm sorry for knocking over that box," Steve said

"I would've had to deal with it sooner or later. I've been suppressing it," Teddy said, glumly. "Come lie down with us."

He did as she asked. He had a lot of questions, but didn't want to make Teddy uncomfortable.

"You probably have a lot of questions," Teddy said.

Were all women this intuitive? "Yeah."

"Allison was my girlfriend throughout undergrad. I honestly thought we were going to be together for a long time, mind you this was before it hit me that I'm going to see everyone in my life die before I even look thirty." Teddy sniffled. "When I told this to Allison, she said it was fine and then I catch her cheating on me with some other woman. She was my first and I thought we were going to be together."

Okay, now it was awkward.

"You deserve better," Ida said.

"My options are pretty limited with just Wolverine, Mystique, Bruce Banner, and Steve," Teddy said. "Not that you're a bad choice Steve. Besides, a lot of people have issues with me being bisexual."

"Wait, what?" Steve looked over at her.

"I wouldn't put you in that position, don't worry about it."

"Not that. Are you saying I'm going to live forever?"

Teddy pressed her palms to her eyes. "No. Just long lived. Maybe age a decade every century. My daddy is 215 years old and he looks about forty. Wolverine is about fifty years younger and looks around thirty. You would be nearing thirty physically if you weren't frozen."

He stared up at the ceiling. If he hadn't crash landed the Valkyrie then he would be in the same position as now. His first love gone and most of his friends dead.

"Well, fuck. I need a drink."

"You got that right," Tony said. "I'm going to work on making an alcoholic for you super soldiers."

"What are you doing?" Teddy got up. "You just had surgery! Get back to your chair." She carefully picked him up bridal style and took him back down the stairs.

Steve sat up and tried to absorb this new information.

"I'm glad you befriended her, Steve."

He looked over to find Ida still lying there. Her petite hands folded neatly on her stomach.

"She's my best friend," Steve admitted.

"Teddy is everyone's best friend," Ida stated simply.

That evening, they ordered in Chinese food and ate dinner together in the Main Common Room. It was a giant glass box that over looked the entire city, which wasn't hard to do being the tallest city in New York. Two sets of glass stairs on opposite ends of the room led up to a second level balcony. Another set of stairs from there led to the Lab which over looked the Common Room floor. The floor was dipped in like a den of sorts, with white, leather couches and shelves of books and magazines lining the low walls; two wooden coffee tables sat in the very center.

In a very Tony-like fashion, two bars stood parallel across the room of each other. Fancy, old-fashioned looking bars with wood paneled walls and a smooth, brown marble counter top. The most interesting part was the wall of the bar to the right when exiting the elevator, opened up to a full kitchen with all the best utilities all in sleek black, white, and turquoise.

The one thing that didn't make sense to Steve was the set of weights sitting in a corner under a set of stairs. He didn't even want to think about how they got a grand piano up here either.

"Maybe we should go to the pool later," Tony said sleepily. Half-way through dinner, he started getting hyper and pulled a stitch, so Teddy injected him with some morphine she kept under lock and key. "I haven't been swimming since I got a battery put in my chest."

"No, Tony," the nurse said. "You can't just yet."

"Well then what else are we supposed to do that's fun?" he asked.

"There's seven of us," Natasha said, lazily poking at her dinner. "I'm sure we could figure something out."

"Let's play Mario Kart," Clint suggested.

Tony cackled and rubbed his hands together. "Oh, I can't _wait_ to see Capsicle try to play a video game. To the media room!"

Steve made eye contact with Teddy. She smirked and winked at him.

Ohhh this was going to be fun.

The media room looked like a mini theatre with three tiers with leather couches and recliners with cup holders. The walls were draped with red curtains and one wall was made up of a screen. Tony fired up the projector and got out the wireless controllers each a different color; red, yellow, blue, and green.

"Who else wants to play first?" Tony asked.

"I'll play," Clint said and took the yellow controller.

"So will I," said Teddy, taking the green controller.

Tony set up the game on a medium level of difficulty and selected the first round of tracks.

"Gentlemen, pick your engines," Tony said.

"And may the best woman win!" Teddy chimed in with a smile.

Steve chuckled and looked down at the controller. Tony picked Mario, Teddy picked Yoshi, Clint picked Bowser, and just to screw with Tony, Steve picked Princess Peach. He played dumb and made a big show of picking through the cars and wheels and gliders.

"That's a pretty fast car, old man," Tony said. "You sure you want the super slick tires?"

"I'll figure it out. I have to hit A to go right?"

"Yes, Steve." Teddy said, playing along. "A to go the bottom button to activate power ups and the trigger to slide."

The game began and the little fella on the cloud held the checkered flag. Steve tried to hide his smirk as he held down the go button just as the '2' came up on the countdown. A burst of flame shot out behind his car and he sped right into first, slamming into the other players on the way.

"It's a hustle!" Natasha shouted.

Steve cackled as he and Teddy fought each other for first place. "Teddy started me off on the hardest levels to learn how to play."

"Did you go over to Teddy's a lot?" Clint asked suggestively.

"She's my best friend since Bucky," Steve said. "She really helped me out."

"Aww," Teddy smiled. "That's so sweet! BLUE SHELL!" She slammed on her breaks, speeding up once more after Steve got hit with the shell.

Steve cursed and struggled to catch up while Teddy reveled in her sneakiness.

"Hey," Teddy said. "Remember that time we played this with my neighbor's kid and you and I were so busy fighting for first, he snuck by and beat us both?"

He nodded. "That was hilarious."

Teddy dropped her controller in her lap and pumped her fist in the air. "I win!"

Steve came in a close second with Clint in third and Tony in fourth.

"Rematch!" Tony shouted. "I was going easy on you Cap!"

"I want to play," Natasha and squeezed into Clint's seat.

"Nat, there are ten open seats."

"I know," she smirked.

They played video games, ate popcorn, and drank soda like a group of teenagers until midnight. Teddy turned up some loud music for Steve's benefit and they all played Super Smash Bros. It was a pretty big bonding moment for the team. True, there was a bit of peace among them after the Battle of New York, but those kinds of truces can be short lived. If they were going to be living in and out of the same building indefinitely, it was important for them to become friends as well as teammates.

Perhaps it would be possible after all.


	9. Chapter 8

_January_

Teddy sat beside Steve on the couch and leaned over his shoulder as he browsed the potential classes he could take at the local Community College. He was planning on only doing one semester and now had to decide on what he wanted to take.

"Most people take four classes," said Teddy. "But a few crazy people take up to five."

"I'm just glad S.H.I.E.L.D. is giving me the time off to get some schooling in," Steve replied. "What do you think I should take? I only had one fucking semester to go before I graduated. Think they might transfer my credits?" he added with a grin.

"Mm… I don't know," she said. "I'm finally graduating in May and my first semester of college was so long ago. I say you should definitely take U.S. History 1865-Present Day. I looked up a few of the Professors and you want to take the ones with Fout. It seems like she tells it like it is. I'd also take… Painting I. You're a great artist, you should get to learn how to paint. I hear it's a good stress reliever. I would also take a language. It's never too late to learn. That just leaves one more. You're too far behind in Math and Science, those would just stress you out. How about a computer course? Just so you learn everything."

"Alright," said Steve. With a bit of help from Teddy, he managed to sign up for all of the classes, pay for them, and print out his schedule.

"I know it won't get me my college degree," said Steve. "And the information I learned is hilariously fucking outdated, but I'm glad that I get to re-do my last semester."

"That's the spirit," said Teddy.

 _January 15th_

It was a bitterly cold January morning. Grey sleet fell from the sky, clinking against the windows of the tower. Teddy wasn't too worried about that though. She was dressed up snugly in a pink cable knit sweater, jeans, and fuzzy socks. She slipped on her steel toed boots and headed up to the lab after a birthday breakfast of pancakes (thanks Ida) and coffee.

Who knew things would turn out so great? She was friends with all of the Avengers living at the Tower. She got to live with her best friend and soul sister. Her biological sister was getting married. She had her dream job and to top it all off it was before she was thirty.

Today, she had turned twenty-eight. It was disconcerting to find a twenty year old her still staring back everyday, but she was trying to get used to it. At least she wouldn't be alone for this birthday. Not only were her friends throwing her a party, her family was coming into town later today.

Teddy entered the Common Area to find Tony lying on his back staring at the ceiling and a dozing Bruce. Bruce started awake and rubbed his eyes.

"Have you been listening to a single word I've said?" Tony asked accusingly.

"Yes, of course," Bruce said.

"Really, what was I saying?"

"Uh… Switzerland."

"You didn't hear any of it," said Tony, offended.

"Listen," Bruce sighed. "I really don't have the… temperament for this."

Teddy scowled, but tried to keep her tone light. "Ah, but that's what friends are for right? To listen and advise, even if their temperament may not be the best. Of course, you can't always be expected to be there, but it's important to try where you can." She rested her hand on Tony's shoulder. "Come on, time for your check up."

"Yippee," Tony said sarcastically. He groaned in pain as he sat up, so Teddy made sure to be extra careful getting him into the chair.

"Have you had your pain medicine?" she asked.

"No, I'm trying to go sober," he replied.

"Good for you, but maybe try that when you haven't recently had open heart surgery." Honestly, he was such a stubborn man. All of these superheroes were stubborn.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. President," Tony said.

"Thanks."

"How old are you again?"

"Twenty eight," she replied.

"Really? You look like you're barely out of high school." He carefully got out of the chair and sat down on her table, swinging his legs like a little kid. "And no, that's not a pick up line."

Teddy snorted and got out her supplies. "I know I still look young. I'm going to be ID'd for alcohol until I'm four hundred."

"What are you doing for your birthday?" He asked.

"My family is coming in today, we're having dinner and playing games. Everyone is invited."

"I didn't get you a gift. What do you want?"

Teddy thought about it for a moment as she checked his chest stitches and replaced the gauze. "Can I pick anything?"

"Anything," said Tony. "No expense spared. I think after the rabbit fiasco, I should probably ask people what they want."

That rabbit was terrifying.

"I want season tickets for Broadway shows. Two, one for me and another for either Steve or Ida or you. Whoever is available. And the same for my sister. She's a bigger musical nut than I am and it wouldn't be fair."

"Consider it done. I'll let you know when they're in."

"Thanks, Tony. You're a really cool boss."

"I try," he replied. "Now, when can I start being normal again?"

Later that day, Teddy was excitedly pacing around the Common Room for her family. Apparently, Tony thought birthdays were very important and had the current residents there too for the party. He catered in a giant buffet of Italian food and Clint and Natasha put up a Happy Birthday banner.

 **"The Williams family is on their way up."**

"Thank you, Jay," Teddy said and ran over to the elevator. They opened and loud, excited screams filled the room as she took in the sight of her momma, daddy, sister, two brothers, and future sister-in-law.

"Teddy!"

"Georgia!" She lifted up her sister and swung her around in a circle.

"Baby girl!" Elijah Williams lifted up his daughters and spun around in a circle.

"That's your dad?" Tony squeaked.

Teddy's father, Elijah Williams, was not a small man. Standing in at six-foot-seven and a broad chest that rivaled Thor's. Her mama, Deborah née Bellafontaine Williams, wasn't small either, she stood at six-foot-one and carried power in every step. She was a strict woman and not one to mess around with. Teddy's little brothers, Freddy and Tommy, were fifteen and already at five-foot-ten they were both lean like her and Georgia. All four children shared their father's darker complexion and their mother's love of food. Their personalities varied, but were vibrant nonetheless. Teddy was the boldest of all four kids.

"Inez, Cómo está?"

"Bien, muy bien!"

Inez was from Washington Heights and was as short and round as Georgia was tall and thin. They fit each other well and had their own Real Estate business down in Boston. Inez went to college and studied languages to be an ambassador, but found she made very good money when she could sell good houses to people she could communicate with.

"Ida!" Elijah and Deborah wrapped their arms around their honorary daughter.

Deborah then split into five and introduced herself to the Avengers. The team got over their shock rather quickly.

Everyone in Teddy's family was a Mutant. She had the same Mutation as her daddy. Mama could duplicate herself, which was how she ran her Cajun style restaurant in Virginia. Georgia had super empathy, which is how she became a good real estate agent. Freddy could talk to animals like Dr. Dolittle and wanted to be a zoologist. Tommy could turn himself and other things invisible. He wanted to be in Special Ops.

"It's an honor to meet you, Captain Rogers," Elijah said his voice deep and rich.

Steve looked rather intimidated, shrinking in on himself like he was that little guy from Brooklyn. Elijah chuckled.

"Don't you worry, Steve," said Deborah hugging her husband. "He's just a big, ol' marshmallow."

Freddy pulled out a small book and went up to Tony. "Mr. Stark can I get your autograph?"

"Sure thing, kid. What's your name?"

"Freddy."

Teddy smiled broadly and thought yet again about how lucky she was. Everyone got plenty of food from the buffet and conversation was running steady.

"What games are we playing?" Georgia asked.

"I got balderdash, Cards Against Humanity," Teddy said. "And taboo. These are good because Ida can't accidentally cheat."

Ida rolled her eyes and turned to Georgia and Inez. "So… what are you guys doing for your wedding?"

"We were thinking of having it in central park," Inez said. "We could have it in Boston, but New York is more convenient for our guest list. We were also able to bump it up to May."

"Really though, it's going to be an open invitation," Georgia continued. "We were going to do a buffet for our reception. Mama's in charge of the catering."

"We'll go," Tony decided. "Right Pepper?"

"I love weddings," said Pepper.

Georgia began choking on her garlic bread.

"Ay, mi amor!" Inez whapped her fiancée on the back.

Teddy wasn't quite as surprised as her sister. Tony seemed to do what he wanted and if he was going to his assistant's sister's gay wedding then that was what he was going to do.

"The more the merrier," Georgia wheezed.

"I'll set up the games," said Teddy. "I figured since there's fourteen of us we'll just draw numbers out of a hat for when we divide up into teams. Though, all twins have to be divided up."

"Teddy!" Georgia whined. "We'd be unstoppable."

"Exactly, twin telepathy counts as cheating," Teddy pointed out with a laugh.

Game night was so much fun that Tony declared the Williams family welcome at the tower anytime and the Avengers had to have game night at least once a months. In her short time as his assistant, Teddy noticed that Tony clung on to family values more than anything.

It most definitely stemmed from his own unhappy childhood. Teddy was determined to give the love and support that a happy family needed if it would keep him emotionally stable.

 _February_

Writing was hard.

Like… really hard.

And sitting in the middle of a pile of papers (perfectly organized mind you) and editing them with post-it notes and red pens proved just how hard it was.

Teddy had all the information she needed for her dissertation and she had research to back up her thesis. The hardest thing about these academic journals, theses, and dissertations was that they had to be at a college reading level (read: pretentious language). What was the point of putting knowledge out there if the average person read at an eighth grade reading level? She wanted her paper to be accepted and published. She wanted to graduate in May and be known as Dr. Theodora Roosevelt Williams. She wasn't about to let years of hard work be put to waste just because some pretentious, old, white men decided that the pursuit of knowledge had to make the majority of people feel stupid. True, she had a lot of technical language in her paper that could not be excluded, but there was also a lot of unnecessary language included.

Her paper had to be a minimum of 21 pages, but she was already at 137 pages. And that much information meant editing, editing, editing. She had to be cautious about redundancy and everything had to be clear and concise. No loose ends. Yet somehow, she had to keep it interesting while also maintaining professional language. Which meant that she'd have to change her title before she submitted it. She picked up her pen, pulled the cap off with her teeth, and crossed out her current title.

BAD-ASS MUTANTS AND THEIR DNA YO HOLLA

And she wrote her new one below it.

ACTIVATED MUTANTS

No, that was dumb and too specific. It needed a hook. She crossed it out and wrote a new one.

A FURTHER STUDY OF MUTANTS

Snore.

Whatevs.

Teddy set the cover page aside and began reviewing Chapter 1: Activated Mutants for the fiftieth time.

"Are you busy?" a soft voice asked.

She looked up and saw Bruce Banner standing awkwardly in the doorway of her lab. He wrung his hands and shuffled his feet like he wanted to go ahead and enter, but didn't want to overstep his bounds.

"Nah," she said and gathered everything up into their proper, color-coded files. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you think you could check if I'm an activated Mutant?" he asked.

Teddy was mildly surprised, but honestly expected him to ask about it sooner or later. She stood up and put her files away.

"Yeah, sure," she said and got a cotton swab. "Here."

Bruce swabbed the inside of his mouth, while Teddy washed her hands and put on a clean pair of gloves. She put the swab in a small tube, then inserted it into a special pocket in her computer table. She typed in a few bits of information.

"Jay, when you're done pulling the DNA from this could you please pull up Steve's and my own for comparison?"

 **"Of course. Calculating now."**

Teddy leaned against the table and looked at Bruce.

"So, any advice on how to make a great dissertation?"

"Not off the top of my head," he replied. "But if you'd like, I could read through it and make notes."

"That'd be fantastic, thanks."

 **"Scan Complete."**

Three strands of DNA were pulled up side-by-side-by-side as well as the profiling below.

"Just as I theorized," said Teddy. "If you weren't a Mutant, the test would have showed up inconclusive. As you can see here in this particular strand, you have the typical four nitrogen bases of DNA plus one more. The Professor, Hank, and I all call it the X base since it's what makes up the X-gene. Look you can see it here, here, and here." She pointed to the DNA fragments that lined up the same. "Everything else in the strand basically tells us what kind of mutation it is. Now, the interesting thing is that we can detect Vita-Ray residue on Steve's DNA. Right here. And here is the Gamma Ray residue on yours."

Bruce put on his glasses and studied his DNA profile and Steve's. He furrowed his brow and layered them over one another.

"It's the same," he said. "I was right, it was Gamma Rays."

"The serum, paired up with the Vita-slash-Gamma rays activated your underlying mutation," said Teddy. "Whether the serum would work for everyone is unknown. But yeah, you're an activated Mutant."

"So… so I can use Hank's serum," said Bruce. "The one that reverses the effects of the genes."

"You could, but I wouldn't recommend it," Teddy replied, sorry that she had to dash that small and brief ray of hope.

"Wh-What do you mean? It's a cure. It's ready. I can have him send me the- the recipe and I can make it myself-"

"No," said Teddy firmly. "Yes, it works and yes, it would most likely work on you, but do you know what would happen if you missed even a single dose? The Hulk would come in full force and you would stay in that form until you could take your second dose. The Other Guy likes staying the Other Guy and would probably hurt anyone that would try to reverse it. Not to mention he has impenetrable skin, so darts would be out of the question. It's a solution, Bruce. But it's not a permanent one. I'm sorry."

Bruce swallowed hard and nodded.

"Alright, well… thanks anyway," he said and chuckled drily. "I was right about everything, except the conclusion."

"I'm sorry," Teddy repeated.

"It's fine," said Bruce. "I'll uh… I'll look over your dissertation and get it back to you."

Teddy pulled up the file on her screen and sent it over to Bruce.

"There you go. I appreciate it."

He hummed and left, bumping into Natasha on his way out. If Teddy wasn't such a master at reading neutral faced people, she never would have been able to tell that the Black Widow was a bit nervous and uncertain of herself.

"What's up, buttercup?" Teddy asked.

"I heard you're testing for Activated Mutants," she said. "Thought I'd stop by and check. I mean, it's a bit of a no brainer, I'm only ten years younger than Steve."

"Not necessarily," said Teddy, putting on a fresh pair of gloves. "Pick a finger."

Natasha held out her pointer finger. Teddy got out a blood sample kit, disinfected the redhead's finger, and took a small sample. She bandaged it up, then put the small box in the same section where Bruce's swab was. She gave Jarvis the same instructions and then they waited in silence.

 **"Scan Complete."**

"Thank you, Jay," said Teddy. She studied the DNA and furrowed her brow. "Huh."

"What?"

"Well… this here says you are, but… not quite," she said. "You're… partially activated. You have longevity, increased metabolism, and enhanced healing ability, meaning that your full mutation has these traits. The average human body can handle these traits, so that's why you survived. The girls who died either had no X-gene to activate or their mutations could not be handled without a full activation that would change their DNA to be able to handle their new conditions. We have no way of knowing what your full activation would be _yet_."

"Huh… so, what do I do?" she asked.

"You have two options," said Teddy, leaning against the table. "Be happy the way you are or subject yourself to Gamma rays and see what happens."

"You can't tell what it would be?"

"Unfortunately, no. I can just find it in your DNA and calculate if it'll be dormant in you and show up in your offspring."

Natasha scoffed and leaned against the table, studying her strand of DNA. She pursed her lips and sighed through her nose. That told Teddy all she needed to know.

"Want me to do a full body scan?" Teddy suggested. "Just because you don't have a uterus doesn't mean you don't have ovaries."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Natasha asked.

"Well… if you have your ovaries that means you have your eggs. By now you would have gone through menopause, but if you never dropped them…"

"Then I could have a baby."

"Mmhm." Teddy cocked her head. "Why not adopt."

The redhead rolled her lips and looked over her shoulder, before leaning in close to Teddy.

"I think… that if I can bring something in this world so pure and innocent and still have it be a part of me, then it would make up for all the red I have in my ledger," she huffed out a laugh and shook her head. "It's stupid."

"No. I get it," she smiled. Being the team medic sometimes meant being the one everybody relied on for advice as well. When it came to heroes, they didn't want to share their feelings, so it made her feel good that they trusted her. "You know… there's an operation transwomen can get where they get a donor uterus so they can have a baby. However, I get the feeling that going under wouldn't be good for you emotionally, so you would have to find a surrogate mother. Now, that would mean that the baby would have DNA from her, you, and whoever you choose to be the father. I would recommend either Steve or Clint, if he shows dormant Mutant genes."

Natasha sucked in a breath. It was slight. Barely noticeable. But Teddy saw it. That was hope there.

"I'll… I'll think about it," she said. "Thanks."

 **"Dr. Williams,"** said Jarvis. **"I must remind you that you and Captain Rogers are seeing Newsies tonight and that now is typically when you start getting ready."**

"Thank you, Jay," said Teddy. "Jay. Erase the conversation Natasha and I just had from all databases."

 **"Done."**

"Thanks," said Natasha. "See you around, Teddy." She turned to leave and stopped. "Oh, anybody you would recommend to set up Steve with for a date?"

"He likes brunettes," she said. "That's all I know. I don't think you should meddle."

"But it's so much fun," Natasha replied with a mischievous smile. "Later."

"Bye."

After saving everything and putting it away in its designated place, Teddy went to her floor and got ready for the show. She and Steve planned on going out to an all you can eat buffet after the show. It should be fun.

She changed into a royal purple evening gown with long, lace sleeves. She paired it with some silver jewelry and clip on hoops, then decorated her hair with little, silver butterflies. Looking in the mirror with her make up all done, she thought she looked pretty damn cute. She fluffed her afro and winked at herself, before sliding on her long, winter coat. Luckily, the dress was long and covered her feet, so it didn't matter that she was wearing warm shoes.

Steve got all dressed up in his blue tuxedo and had his blond hair styled neatly. Aw, he was so cute. He was fiddling with his tie and when he noticed her, he pointed to it.

"Could you help me?"

Teddy scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how to tie a tie. Want to borrow one of my clip-ons?"

He grew a bit embarrassed and shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure it looks fine."

"I think you look pretty hot," said Teddy, grinning.

"Thanks," he replied, breaking into a smile. "So do you."

"Come on," she hooked her arm with his. "I want to get a t-shirt before the show."

They took Teddy's Prius, because it had a better heating system than any of the sports cars. She made sure of it. As they were driving through the streets of New York, she noticed him staring at the snow, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Sometimes, he acted like he didn't have an issue with snow or ice, but Teddy knew better. Her daddy still had nightmares about dogs and water. People just didn't get over things that put them through pain.

Popping her lips, she switched on the radio.

"So, I was thinking we could go to an all-you-can-eat buffet after the show until they kick us out," she said.

"Yeah, we decided that," he replied, tensely. "Green Tomato."

"Oh, right. Um…" she tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.

"You don't have to distract me, you know," he said. "I appreciate it, but really, I'm okay." He looked down at his lap for a moment, before turning towards her. "I got another call today."

"Yeah? 'Bout what?"

"American Education System wants me to do a work out video to show in gym classes," he said.

"Oh, yuck!" Teddy wrinkled and nose and shook her head. "Those things are the _worst_. I'm telling you."

"That bad, huh?"

"Mmhm," she cleared her throat and mimicked the Pacer test man. "The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. Ready? _Beep!_ "

"That sounds horrible."

"It was. Even if you're like us, it is the worst experience," she said. "Besides, getting you as a workout example for kids is a horrible idea."

He looked mildly offended. "Why?"

"Steve… honey… you took performance enhancement drugs to get the way you are," she said with a grin. "They're generally against those in schools."

Steve broke into laughter.

"Either way you should do it," she continued. "Give the kids some pretty good smart ass remarks to give the teachers for forcing them into physical education they may not be able to handle."

"Alright, I'll do it," he said. "But only if you do it with me."

"What? Why?"

"You said so yourself," he said with a shrug, the corner of his mouth quirking into a grin. "We need more representation."

Oh, she couldn't say no to that face. Then again, it might be fun to film a work out video for grades K-12. Make it interesting and not overly painful to watch. Or make it so painful to watch it's enjoyable. She was sure she could ask Hank to send in her X-Men uniform for the video.

"Alright."

"I'll call them in the morning," he said.

They weren't bothered by anybody as they entered the theater and got their tickets scanned. Teddy and Steve both got t-shirts and play bills, then settled into their seats. They were in row five, right in the center. Best seats. Teddy and Steve didn't even look up how expensive those seats were. It would probably make them both feel sick.

"This is so exciting," Teddy whispered, flipping through her playbill.

"Yeah," Steve whispered back. "I always wanted to see a broadway show."

"Ooh, we should post this," she said and pulled out her phone. "Flash warning!"

They both smiled big for the camera and made finger guns towards it. It didn't go unnoticed by either of them the glares they were getting from the super wealthy people around them and, yeah, it was uncomfortable but they sure as hell weren't going to stop enjoying themselves.

"Kids these days," an older woman huffed to her husband. "Can't get their noses out of their phones. Back in my day people actually talked to one another, like civilized human beings. Hair-dos were much nicer, too."

Teddy pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

Steve turned around in his seat to face the woman.

"Well, back in _my_ day, we avoided conversation by reading the newspaper. At least with phones you can talk to people you actually like," he said. "And I, for one, am glad that people have the freedom to be themselves as God made them."

"C-C-Captain America," the snobby woman's husband stammered. "I- I owned all of your comic books until Ma threw them out."

"Always a pleasure to meet a fan," said Steve with a polite nod.

"Oh, Captain," said Snobby Lady, resting her hand on her cheek as she tried not to blush. "I didn't mean any offense."

"Well _, I'm_ not offended," he said and turned back towards the front, making a face. Teddy had to bite her thumb in order to stifle her laughter. He was just so sassy sometimes, it was hilarious.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," an announcer said over the speakers. "The show is about to begin, we please ask you to turn off all devices. There will be no video recording or photography during the performance. Thank you and enjoy the show."

Teddy turned off her phone and stuffed it in her clutch before settling back into her chair. The orchestra played the overture, then began a light number. The curtain drew back to reveal a four story tall scaffolding in front of a smoggy and dark city scape. A single spotlight illuminated a boy with a crutch as he climbed to the top of the building.

The show was FANTASTIC! Steve and Teddy enjoyed it so much they were practically dancing in their seats. The boys were phenomenal dancers, pulling moves they'd never seen before. One boy did spins so fast and perfect it would make Sutton Foster jealous. The funniest part, though, was when Steve nearly stood up and cheered during the _Brooklyn's Here_ number.

"Ah, geez, that was swell," said Steve. The Brooklyn accent that he worked so hard to cover up for his Captain America image had come back full swing and it amused Teddy to no end. She decided not to mention it to see how far it would go.

"Want to go get autographs?" she asked.

"Shit, you can do that?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Hell, yeah! Come on!"

She led him out into the cold and around to the stage door where the theater geeks crowded around with sharpies and play bills. When the guy who played Davey came out to sign autographs he recognized Steve right away and became pretty flustered.

"Captain America! Wow!" he gasped. "Um… do you want to come back stage and meet everyone?"

Steve nodded. "Sure. We can do an autograph exchange."

"Yeah! Okay!"

The boys were all agog and a flutter as Steve entered the room. They weren't expecting a _superhero_ to show up to their performance and were honestly glad that they didn't know beforehand.

"You know, I was actually a Newsie," said Steve.

"Really?" said the boy who played Specs.

The cast gathered around to hear Steve talk, all forgetting about changing out of their costumes. It wasn't everyday a super hero/celebrity showed up to a performance.

"First off," said Steve. "I just wanna say that your performance was fantastic."

Teddy grinned as she saw the silent freaking out happen in their eyes.

"Right, so, when I was a kid," Steve continued. "I had to sell papes just like a lot of boys in my neighborhood. Mam worked long shifts and she had to spend most of our money on my medicines. Buck and I would go and buy the papers and sell them with what we could. He'd sell his by using charm and people just felt sorry for me and bought mine. Mind you, this was before that eugenics bullshit started flying around. I sold them up until I was about ten. That's when I got scarlet fever, so I couldn't do it anymore. Honestly, I identify a lot with Jack. Starving artist and all."

"Could you draw us something?" one guy asked. "I mean… you don't have to."

"Nah, I'd be happy to," he said. "Can I have some newspaper and charcoal?"

The Prop Master immediately found said items and brought them to Steve. It was funny. Sometimes, Teddy forgot that he was a national hero, looked up to by all, and not the goofball that she watched cartoons and worked out with.

Steve propped the paper against his leg and scribbled out a portrait of the woman who played Katherine, like Jack did during _I Never Planned On You_. Once completed, the Cast gushed over it.

"Thank you, everyone," said Steve. "It's been great meeting you."

The feeling was probably more than mutual.


	10. Chapter 9

_March 23rd_

Teddy's dissertation was complete and had just been sent to be critiqued and then, hopefully, published. Now, she just had to have some things to prove. On first glance, all of her research seemed to be geared towards a super soldier project. Really though, that was sooo over done in so many fields. No, what Teddy wanted to do was create a super vaccine that could adapt against virus adaptations.

"Hey, Teddy," Steve said entering the lab. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she stood up from her swivel chair. "I want to ask you a favor. You have the right to say no, but I am willing to explain my reasonings."

He cocked his head to the side. She was reminded of a golden retriever. "What is it?"

"I want to run tests on you. Before you say anything, please note that I have run these tests on myself and Logan. Some of them might make no sense, but I do them anyway to see if there is a pattern in certain areas that we are unable to see." She led him to her fridge and opened it up. She opened the drawer labelled "Body fluids" and took out two vials of blood. "See, my blood and Logan's blood. It's only a couple vials."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Well, no." She returned everything to its place and opened up a file cabinet. She pulled out a small packet that organized her data in a neat little excel sheet. With something this important, she didn't believe in keeping it on digital data. "This is basically what it entails. You can refuse to do any of them."

Steve seemed a bit surprised at being told exactly what was going on. "What is this for?"

"You see, my research is based around creating a super vaccine. Something that can adapt to anything out there. After that, I want to study the growth of our cells and create a 3D printing press for organs that simulate real flesh. You have type O and therefore are a universal donor, so your blood will also be kept on file for emergency transfusions. If you agree to that, just initial here—" she pointed to the correct agreement. "And we will get that done later this week. I'm having all the Avengers donate blood in case of an emergency."

"That's a smart idea," said Steve. "Okay, I'll sign. Do you have a pen?"

Teddy nodded and opened up a drawer neatly organized with office supplies. She plucked out a blue inked pen and handed it to him.

"Let me know when you're done and we'll get started."

"Get started on what?" Tony asked entering her lab space. "Is it dirty?"

"Yes, Tony," she said sarcastically. "Very dirty things. Yeah, like getting blood drawn, testing strength, speed, and of course studying DNA… Okay, I guess in movies with the right music and eye gaze those could be considered dirty."

Steve snorted and continued scribbling his initials in the designated areas. He paused and furrowed his brow. "Singing?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I just… I dunno it just occurred to me one day, at three in the morning, if we are constantly replenishing our cells, we're healthy as possible and our senses are heightened meaning we have acute hearing and perfect vocal chords."

"Therefore it's impossible to be a bad singer," Steve concluded. He sighed. "I dunno, I was pretty terrible when I was a teen."

"Then that theory will be disproven," Teddy said.

"Oh, I've got to see this." Tony sat down on a chair.

"Actually, I was going to start with a blood sample, but… whatever." Teddy knew she couldn't live by schedule anymore with Tony around. She'd just have to deal with it. But she wasn't going to give up her organization. As long as everything ended up on the chart, it'd be fine.

"I don't know how I feel about this," Steve said glancing at Tony.

Teddy put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, if it'll take off the pressure do you want to hear Logan sing _Oh, What a Beautiful Morning_ from _Oklahoma_?"

He raised his eyebrows, a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Seriously?"

Teddy nodded and played the recording. She never played it for anyone else, but she knew Steve wouldn't bring it up to be polite and Tony would be too afraid once he actually met Logan. Seriously though, Logan was a big sweetheart to those he decided was his duty to protect. He constantly called her 'Sunshine' if that was any sign. For some reason she would never figure out, Teddy made it her life mission to make the people around her smile at least once a day. It was just something she decided to do. That's how she became best friends with Ida.

"Wow, he's pretty talented."

Teddy ended the recording and started a new one. "Test Subject: Steve Rogers. Date and time: March 23rd, 2014. 9:52 A.M. Song…?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at Steve.

"Uh… Dulaman."

Teddy nodded. "Song: Dulaman." She stepped back and gestured to Steve. He stepped forward uncertainly and cleared his throat.

 _A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí_

 _A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé_

 _Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach_

 _Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn_

His voice was soft and strong. He seemed rather surprised in himself and stopped flushing red in embarrassment.

"End recording," said Teddy. "Save to file name Research Shit."

Tony and Steve raised an eyebrow at that.

Teddy raised an eyebrow back. "I'm gonna keep running my tests. Anyone who wants to run two miles as fast as possible is welcome to stay."

"And I think that's my cue to leave," Tony said and left her lab section. "Nice voice, Cap. Add that to the list of other things you're perfect at."

"I… I didn't know that I could sing like that," Steve said disbelievingly.

Teddy smiled and got out a pre-set box of blood taking equipment. "It's a lot more fun when you can sing well. Guess this means we can have sing-a-longs now. Arm."

He held out his arm and she took three vials of blood, then took out a stop watch and timed how fast his wound healed, how fast the bruise appeared and then disappeared. There wasn't much of a bruise to calculate though. All her patients had always complimented her ability to draw blood and give shots with little to no pain.

"Three-point-four seconds," Teddy said and jotted it down. "I'll compare these to the timings I took of those bruises you got last June."

It turned out, the statistics were very impressive. Teddy tested everything. The amount of weight he could deadlift, how fast he could run, his lung capacity, the amount of force he could throw into one punch, everything.

When completed, she pulled up her statistics alongside his. "Our mutations are very similar."

Steve studied them closely. A lot of the figures didn't mean anything to him, but he could see how similar the stands of X-gene were. Then, it hit him about what it meant. Teddy knew it hit him too.

"Teddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I count on you to…"

She understood what he meant and hugged him tightly. "Yeah. I'm with you. Did you know that if people are friends for seven years then they're friends for life?"

"Really?"

"Yep." Teddy printed out all of her data and filed it away in a box, then erased it from the computers.

"Why would you erase it?" Steve questioned.

"Well, okay," Teddy set the box down and faced him. "Call me paranoid—"

"Paranoid."

"— but with sensitive information like this, I don't think it's smart to keep it on a computer. I'm all for going green and going paperless, but I don't want people thinking they can steal my research for some evil shit."

"You've stopped swearing in ice cream flavors," Steve pointed out.

"Yeah, Tony's a bad influence. Anyway, I want to do good with my research, not make super soldiers."

Steve smiled. "I can get behind that."

"Teddy," Ida's voice rang out. "Ready for lunch? Oh, hi Steve."

"Hey, Ida," he greeted. "How's it going?"

"Fine. We're just going to lunch," she replied. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah, join us," Teddy urged. She wanted to spend as much time with her friends as possible before Steve moved down to D.C. to be a full time agent. Once he finished his college courses he'd be leaving and Teddy would be stuck with the Science Bros for company. Don't get her wrong, she liked Tony and Bruce, but they were on their own wavelength.

"Sure," he said. "Why not?"

"Yay!" Teddy clapped her hands.

The three of them piled into Teddy's car and went into the streets of New York. There was a diner a few blocks away with the _best_ milkshakes and some pretty damn good burgers. At two in the afternoon it wasn't crowded so they were able to sit at a booth and get their food pretty quickly.

"How's the research going?" Ida asked, dipping her fries in her chocolate shake.

"Well, if Steve didn't have his rejuvenation he would have some horrible stretch marks," said Teddy. "From my calculations he nearly tripled in size. A 266.6666 etcetera percent increase in size. His shoe size went from a six to a twelve and a half. It seems that everything pretty much double-and-a-half-ed in size."

Ida was quiet for a moment and the corner of her mouth twitched.

"Woof."

Teddy realized her implication and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Steve cleared his throat and blushed.

"I'm not looking that closely," she said, once she caught her breath. "I think the Scientific Journals _might_ be interested in that though."

Steve muttered something under his breath, so Teddy decided to change topics.

"Hey Steve, wanna go to a club next week? Go dancing?"

Steve frowned and looked down at his plate. "I don't dance. I just… I always wanted to wait for the right partner, you know?"

"Steve. Honey. If you spend too long waiting for the right partner, they might end up passing you by. You got to get out there and date. It might get you out of that emotional constipation."

"I'm not emotionally constipated," Steve argued.

Ida snorted.

"I'm not!"

"Steve, you're Irish," said Teddy. "If you feel an emotion, you bottle it up and then you die. You have to get out there and meet people, okay? At least dance at my sister's wedding or something."

"I… I can't dance. I don't know how," he admitted.

Teddy grinned. She had an idea. "I know what we're doing tomorrow. Ida?"

"On it."


	11. Chapter 10

_March 24th_

Teddy managed to get Ida off duty for the morning and had Steve meet them in their apartment. Tony and Bruce were working on some Hulk Buster and she did not want to be in there for that unless something exploded and she had to patch Tony up. It wasn't that she wouldn't be able to contribute, she just didn't want to get in the way of their brotherhood bonding.

Steve showed up after breakfast looking more than a bit apprehensive. It was adorable.

"Hey, Steve," said Teddy, giving him a side hug. "So, Ida and I are going to teach you how to dance well enough that Tony can't blackmail you."

"Oh, is that why you're teaching me? I thought you were just looking for an excuse to feel me up," he said jokingly.

Teddy laughed and Ida raised an eyebrow.

"Captain America has sass," said the smaller woman. "Go figure."

Ida was definitely dying of laughter on the inside. She never showed it, but Teddy could read her neutral faced friend like a book.

Teddy smiled and picked up her remote. "I put together a playlist. I figured you could dance with both me and Ida since there's like a six-inch height difference and that way you can get a feel for dancing with guys and girls. Now, I put together a playlist of songs that could potentially be played at the wedding and Ida and I will teach you dance moves for.

"First off, nobody knows how to swing dance anymore unless they're in theatre or from the south. We're going to start off crazy, stupid easy. You just take your partner…" There was some slight fumbling as they both went to take each other's waist.

Ida snorted.

Steve and Teddy laughed which broke a little bit of the tension. Teddy corrected them and made sure Steve was in the leading position.

Ida played the song Those Magic Changes by Johnny Contardo.

Teddy counted the steps and told him directions out loud until he got the hang of the pattern.

"What if I want to turn?" Steve asked.

"Turn dammit!" Teddy and Ida shouted.

Steve chuckled, but didn't quite understand the joke. Frankly, neither did Teddy or Ida. It was just something one guy at the mansion would say when he tried to teach everyone how to Polka. It all turned into a big hip-hop dance battle, but they still had fun.

"Nah, but don't worry about that," said Teddy. "The dance floor is going to be too crowded for that anyway."

They got into a good rhythm when suddenly, at the climax of the song, Teddy spun Steve away and twirled Ida around their living room floor.

Ida cracked a smile and rolled her eyes. "There's a reason people think we're gay."

"Ugh, as if. You are so not my type!" said Teddy with a laugh.

"What is your type?" Steve asked curiously.

Teddy tilted her head and hummed. "I'm definitely into blondes. What about you?"

Steve furrowed his brow and thought about it before breaking into a smile. "Brunettes that can kick my ass."

"Ah, so that makes sense about Peggy Carter," said Ida. "Teddy had a massive crush on her. Had her poster and everything."

"I told him," said Teddy. "Come on, we're supposed to be teaching him how to dance. I need to get back to work after this."

Teddy pressed play and Those Magic Changes by Sha-Na-Na came on. She went into normal dance position, her right hand in Steve's left and left hand on his shoulder. She instructed him and sort of took the lead.

"You're doing great," she said encouragingly, dancing with him around the room. "No fancy moves. Just a few steps back and a few steps forward, then we turn and just do the same thing."

He smiled as they found a bit of a groove.

"Hey, I'm not stepping on your toes," he said, happily.

"Great job, Steve," said Teddy.

 _April 15th_

When he returned home from a mission with Natasha, Teddy finally managed to talk Steve into going to a club. She had considered inviting Natasha but the agent had taken a nap and left for a super, secret mission with Clint. Teddy wondered if that was just code for a vacation but it was none of her business to pry. No, she got into everybody's personal business on a different level and by now knew everyone's blood type, allergies, past illnesses, and even illnesses they were prone to getting like influenza or work.

After a super fun dress-up party (a.k.a. Steve coming down in a collared shirt and khakis and Teddy forcing him back to his room and dressing him up in a white t-shirt, plaid, and jeans), Teddy decided on a really cute, lavender crop top, tight jeans, and some clunky and fine gold jewelry that she thought made her look and feel like some sort of goddess painting. Which was always a good feeling to have.

The club itself was called the Midnight Zone and was modeled after, you guessed it, the midnight zone of the ocean. It seemed like any dingy, old, red-brick building, but the warehouse like inside was remodeled into three levels underground. The first level was fairly light and the waiting area for people to get into the club. Often, non-alcoholic beverages could be purchased and it was also where the bathrooms were. The second level, the _twilight zone_ , was filled with seating areas where people could chat and drink. It also had the main bar and menus for ordering appetizer type foods. Finally, the bottom level was the midnight zone; a dance floor illuminated only by the upper two levels and black lights. A DJ was set up on a high stage and beneath him were drums coated with glow-in-the-dark paint, which people could line up to play and splatter the dancers with paint. Most patrons wore glow-in-the-dark makeup or outfits too match the atmosphere but it wasn't a requirement and if you ever changed your mind you could buy glow-in-the-dark jewelry.

"Well, this is… interesting," said Steve over the pulsing beat of the music. "Definitely not swing dance."

"Yeah, but I love this music," said Teddy. "You just feel it within your entire body and pretty soon you're in tune with it and you don't remember what it was like without it. Let's dance!"

"Oh, no." He stared out at the mass of bodies with an intimidated look on his pale face. "I think I'll just watch."

"Uh-uh." Teddy shook her head. "We watched _Dead Poet's Society_ last week ad what was the lesson?"

"Carpe diem."

"CARPE DIEM!"

Teddy dragged him onto the floor and began to dance. Steve swayed a little and nodded his head timidly. However, the darkness and anonymity of the atmosphere swept him away and he began to let loose and start to enjoy just the feeling of releasing the energy and emotion through dance. Teddy got distracted by a new partner and turned her head to Steve.

"Hey! Rendezvous in the twilight zone at midnight, okay?"

"You got it!" he shouted breathlessly.

Even though he had fun initially, once Teddy's attention was off of Steve, he attracted some new and rather unwanted attention. A really hot girl in platform heels began to grind against him and he was not comfortable with that at all. So, he awkwardly danced away and left the flashing dance floor in favor of the bar on the second level. Teddy wasn't about to drag him back onto the floor and was proud of him for experiencing as much as he did. She turned her attention to the cute guy who garnered her attention and just got swept away in the fun. She hadn't gone to a club in over a year and nearly forgot how much fun it was.

Up in the twilight zone, Steve was actually pretty into the guy he was talking to. Kyle was his name. He was handsome and funny and they really hit it off. Kyle worked at an animal shelter in Queens and trained the dogs to listen when people read books so they could help children come over their reading anxiety.

"Maybe we can go on a date sometime," said Kyle.

"You know what? I'd like that," said Steve.

"Whoo!" Teddy sat down at the bar beside Steve. "I haven't danced in forever. Having fun?"

Steve grinned. "Sure am. Teddy, this is Kyle. Kyle, this is Teddy. She's my best friend."

"Oh, my God," said Kyle. "I would love to have a sassy, black woman as my best friend. She'd mesh well with the sassy, black woman I am on the inside."

The smile slid off of Steve's face and, suddenly, he wasn't so attracted to Kyle anymore.

"So, when did you wanna go out?" Kyle asked.

"Um… rain check," he said and looked at Teddy. "I don't feel well, I want to go."

"Yeah, for sure." They plowed their way out of the club.

"I can't believe those fucking words came out of somebody's mouth," said Steve, shaking his head.

"You didn't know," Teddy replied. "I'm glad you didn't put up with that bullshit though."

Their conversation was interrupted by a group of drunk men catcalling a small group of women. They were probably around college aged and the partially sober ones were already pushing their drunk friends to the center of the pack.

Steve worked his jaw. He hoped that people would be more respectful of women in the future. There would be times where he thought they were but, then he would read something or hear something and he was right back in the forties when people were saying that women shouldn't be taking up men's jobs during the war because it would be bad for their home life.

Bull. Shit.

"Excuse me," said Steve, walking over to the group of women. "If you want, my friend and I can escort you home."

"Hey, baby," one of the creeps called, lingering closer, staring at them lustfully. "I don't mean to offend—"

"Then shut your fucking mouth," Steve snapped, standing between the two groups. "They just wanna go home without some creep ruining their night."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" another dude bro asked.

"I'm nobody," said Steve. "I just can't stand by and let you speak to another human being this way."

"That's right, you tell 'em," said Teddy, crossing her arms and standing tall beside him.

"You just want them for yourself!"

"Fuck off!" Steve spat. "Fuck off or fight me. No highway option."

"I'll ask you again," said the ringleader of the group, getting right into Steve's face. "Who the fuck are you?"

Steve's eyes burned from the amount of alcohol on this guy's breath. It was amazing he was still standing, much less able to create partially coherent sentences.

"Captain America," he said. "Now apologize to these ladies. And a real apology. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"Or what?"

"I'll kick your ass. No hesitations."

The ringleader spit in his face.

"Oh, shit's going down," said Teddy.

"Damn straight," said Steve, cracking his knuckles.

Needless to say, the girls got home safely and social media blew up the next morning about Captain America not putting up with catcallers and misogyny. Steve wasn't sorry at all but he got an earful from Fury about laying low. The poor guy in charge of managing the merchandise made in the Avengers image had to call and try to tell Steve to avoid a negative image and ended up with a lecture on how standing by is just as bad as participating. Which he was then able to turn into a small video to play during Anti-Bully campaigns in schools alongside the _Captain America and Teddy Williams workout video_.


	12. Chapter 11

_May 25th, 2014_

The day of Georgia and Inez's wedding finally arrived. Both women were getting ready in separate tents while the ceremony was being set up. The brides were getting married under an arch trellis decorated with red, magenta, and yellow flowers. White fold up chairs were set out in staggered rows with little cards on seats reserved for family. After the ceremony, they were going to go to a hotel for the reception (paid for by Tony as a gift).

Most of the people there were Georgia's family and friends. All of them, men and women alike, were dressed in bright and bold colors. There were plenty of mutants there too including Logan, the Professor, Storm, and Cyclops.

Georgia had decided to go with suits for her and her bridesmaids while Inez wanted a dress for her and her bridesmaids. Teddy and Georgia had pulled and teased their afros into a pompadour.

"Are you sure you want us to look alike?" Teddy asked, finishing off her sister's shiny makeup.

"We have different suit colors," said Georgia defensively.

That was true. Georgia was in an Italian cut magenta suit with a matching bowtie and black shirt. Teddy was in the same type except hers was a poppy red. Cousin Tanya was in mandarin orange and Georgia's friend Chenille was in dandelion yellow. They all wore two tone spectator shoes.

On Inez's side, the bride was wearing a royal purple gown and her Maid of Honor and bridesmaids were in navy, cerulean, and Kelly green respectively, paired with sandals in matching colors. All six bridesmaids were carrying a small bouquet of white flowers.

Five Deborah Williams were running around, ushering people to their seats, checking on the brides, and running through a checklist to make sure everything was perfect. There were several Mutants, including Logan, who were wandering around the edges just incase any bigots got any ideas.

Tony, Pepper, Bruce, and Steve were the only Avengers that were able to come. Natasha and Clint had a super secret mission they just couldn't miss.

The pastor took his place at the altar. Ida, wearing a rose pink dress, stood up and took her place off to the side. She picked up a guitar off a stand and strummed a light hearted tune.

The precession was a bit different than a hetero couples' wedding. The bridesmaids all went first, arm in arm. Parting onto either side when they reached the arch trellis, then Georgia walked to the altar with Elijah, who was already on the verge of tears. He let his daughter go and kissed her on the cheek, then went back down for Inez. The flower girl and ring bearer stepped forward and walked/tottered down the aisle.

The ring bearer, a boy of about three, watched his sister smiling and tossing the flowers. He grinned and flung the little pillow in the air. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Lawrence!" his mother shouted. "We went over this in rehearsal, you do not throw the rings."

"It's alright, Claudette," said Teddy. "I got them right here."

Ida went back to playing the guitar and Inez walked down the aisle.

Georgia gasped when she saw her soon-to-be wife and sighed, a look of absolute adoration on her face. Inez was glowing. The two women took hands and had to be held back by their Maid-of-Honors before they could skip right to the kissing.

"Marriage, is what brings us together today," said the pastor. "Marriage, that blessed arrangement. Marriage, the dream of dreams. It is commitment. It is joy. It is understanding. It is patience. It is anger. It is reconciliation. It is everything. Marriage is Love. And love, true love will follow you forever. So, treasure your love. Before we do the exchange of the rings, both brides would like to say something."

Georgia smiled shyly. "Inez, when I met you I knew you were the girl I was going to marry. Because the first time I laid eyed on you I had said "Wow…" It was like my eyes had just been opened and nothing was ever going to be the same. You aren't like anybody else because I with you, I want to be a better person. With you, I want to live."

"Well, shit how am I supposed to top that?" said Inez. Everyone chuckled and Inez took the pause to wipe away her tears. "Georgia, you are the only woman for me and I'm excited for our marriage. I'm excited to spend the rest of my life with you. We will have our ups and downs, but we will love each other including our quirks. Not despite them."

"Oh, geez. You got me crying now," said Georgia.

The pastor sniffled a little and cleared his throat.

"Do you, Inez Maria Velazquez, take this woman as your wedded wife, to hold and to cherish, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health for as long as you shall live?"

"I do," said Inez.

"And do you Georgia Washington Williams, take this woman as your wedded wife, to hold and to cherish, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health for as long as you shall live."

"I do," said Georgia.

"Do you have the rings?" the pastor asked.

Teddy reached into her pocket and pulled out the rings. They were both simple silver bands with I love you engraved in Inez's and Te amo engraved in Georgia's. The two women took the respective rings.

"These rings symbolize your never ending love, just as a circle has no end," said the pastor as they exchanged their rings. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss."

Inez dipped Georgia and kissed her soundly while everyone cheered and applauded including some people who were wandering around the park and came upon the wedding.

"Okay," said Deborah standing up. "We'll just be taking some photos and everyone can go ahead to the reception."

"Open bar people," said Tony.

"Hey, is that Tony Stark?" one of the park goers asked.

"It is!"

People crowded in with their cellphones and tourists with their cameras. The wedding party just stood in place and smiled for the wedding photographer.

"What do you want to do if the press shows up?" Teddy asked Georgia.

"Declare my love to my wife and invite them to stay for the reception," Georgia replied. "We ain't paying for it."

"Cool."

It was slow going getting to the hotel for the reception. There weren't enough cars, so some people had to take the subway and then there was traffic. Luckily, Deborah got there in time to make sure the catering was going as planned and that the DJ was there to set up. The brides had discussed a live band, but decided against it. So far, the first ones to arrive were the Avengers and the wedding party.

"Is there anything I can do?" Steve asked one of the Deborah's running around. "I feel awkward just standing here."

"No, honey you sit down right here and drink some water," said Deborah.

"Oh, no thank you ma'am, I'm fine—"

She stared him right in the eye, snapped her finger and pointed at his place setting. "Sit."

Steve scurried over and plunked down into his chair without further argument. Deborah brought him a glass of water and patted his head like a puppy. "Your veins are sticking out. Means you're dehydrated. Remember, Remember, food burns through your body four times as fast and that goes for fluids too. Keep gatorade on hand, it'll replenish your electrolytes."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Steve. He couldn't help but smile at being mothered. It had been so long ago that his own mother fussed over him similarly. Except instead of being a superhuman he was… the complete opposite.

"Anytime sugar, I got some extra steaks set aside for you, Elijah, and Teddy."

"Hey, quit lollygagging," another Deborah shouted. "This ain't no diner!"

"You think I'd be nicer to myself," Deborah muttered.

The dinner was delicious, there was steak with oven roasted potatoes and collard greens, grilled chicken with a delectable cream sauce and green beans, and for the vegetarians there was a spinach and artichoke three-cheese ravioli. Steve, Elijah, and Teddy had each option and none were left wanting.

After the meal, Deborah stood up and clinked her knife to her glass. The hall silenced and everyone turned their attention to her. She smiled and picked up a microphone.

"Hello everyone, right now, I think is the time for speeches, after that the brides will share their first dance as newlyweds. I'll start first," she said and cleared her throat. "Inez, I don't think I could have picked a better match for my Georgia. You two fit together like puzzle pieces. You are welcomed into our family with open arms and open hearts. To Georgia and Inez."

Everyone raised their glasses.

Inez's Maid of Honor, Camilla, made her speech in Spanish. From what Teddy could understand it was very sweet and had Inez to tears. Luckily, the Latina used a setting spray so her makeup wasn't smeared at all.

Teddy stood up and took the microphone from Camilla.

"Gigi, as a twin it always feels like we already have our other half there," she said. "Girl, we have been through so much together and it's not easy being who we are on any level. Inez brings out the best in you and I hope that one day I find a man or woman who loves me as much as you two love each other. I wish you all the happiness in the world because y'all deserve it. Now, Ida and I prepared a little song for you. Ida?"

Ida stood up and put her guitar on, she began to strum a tune. Teddy began to sing while holding her sister's hand.

"Giving all you could to the relationship / Like a full time job / Nine to Five you gotta work it, work it / Like the best of you has yet to arrive / All the love inside is all the love you ever needed, needed. / All the dreams you had, all the things you wanted/ Don't turn your back it's not too late / You better love yourself before yo love somebody, love somebody."

Ida joined in on the chorus.

"Can I get an Amen? Can I get an Amen? If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?"

They finished out the song with everybody joining in on the chorus.

"I love you, sis," said Teddy as applause filled the room. "Now get your butt out there and dance with your girl."

Georgia stood up and took Inez's hand. Like clockwork, the tables were moved off to the side off the dance floor. The DJ went into his booth and readied their song. Georgia and Inez both had a love for Broadway musicals and chose a song from the show they saw before Georgia proposed. They had seen Rent, so, of course, they chose I'll Cover You.

Teddy sidled over to Steve.

"I'd never been to a wedding before," said Steve, smiling as he watched Georgia and Inez sing to each other while they danced. They held so much love in their eyes it made a person's heart warm.

Teddy snorted.

"You mean your first wedding ever is a gay wedding?"

"Aren't all weddings gay?" he asked furrowing his brow in confusion. Then he remembered the lingo and shook his head. "Yeah, my first wedding is a gay wedding."

"Yeah, lots of things changed while you were on ice," said Tony. "New terminology."

"The high-five was a surprise," said Steve. "Apparently it was invented by a gay baseball player in the I was also a bit confused by 'awesome' because it used to mean terrifying and now it's just another way of saying 'swell'."

"Don't be afraid to get out there and dance," said Teddy, diverging off subject.

"Oh, I would love to see that," said Tony. "Mind if I take a video?"

"Tony, no," said Pepper.

"Tony, yes," said Tony, rubbing his hands together like an evil villain.

"Okay, why not?" said Steve with a shrug. "According to Teddy I need to take that… uh… what did you call it?"

"Right winged, conservative, commie hating, backcountry, good boy, that never got into fights, didn't swear—" she took a deep breath— "Racist, misogynist, arrogant, middle-class kinda guy."

"Right, she said I need to take that image and crush it," he continued with a grin. "I've decided that while I'm preparing to go back into the field, I might as well do some charity work and interviews. We're going to the Gay Pride parade next month."

"Well… all right then…" said Tony, taken aback once again. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks."

After the first dance, the cake was rolled out. It was a beautiful three tier cake with an array of poppy, chrysanthemum, and daffodil sugar flowers cascading down the side of the cake. The inside was vanilla and hazelnut. There was a smaller cake for those with nut allergies which was just plain vanilla with buttercream filling.

The two women cut the cake and fed each other a bit, dabbing frosting on their noses. They kissed each other and took their bouquets from their Maid of Honor. The DJ grinned and grabbed his microphone.

"Alright, those who are hoping to get married next, make your way to the dance floor," he said.

Inez and Georgia stood up on stage and turned their backs to the crowd. The DJ turned on the bouquet throwing song.

Whoa bitch! Get out the way!  
Get out the way, bitch  
Get out the way.

Everybody laughed at the selection and a good handful made their way to the dance floor.

Teddy grinned as she saw a few men and women pull out their phones either to take videos or got the hint and started looking up engagement rings.

"You're not going out there?" Steve asked her.

"Nah," she chuckled drily and shook her head. "The catching of the bouquet means that whoever catches it gets married next. I probably won't get married for a long time… my Daddy didn't even get married until he was 186."

Inez and Georgia threw their bouquets and turned to watch the fights. Two men ended up with the flowers and embraced each other.

"Let's get this party started!" the DJ shouted.

Before Teddy could drag Steve out onto the dance floor, one of the little boys went up to him and tugged on his pant leg.

"Are you really Captain America?" he asked.

Steve knelt down and smiled.

"Yes, I am."

"Can I have your autograph and a picture?"

"Sure thing," said Steve. He put a warm hand on the kid's shoulder and smiled while his mom took a picture with her phone.

That sparked a wave with all the children and young teenagers attending the reception and before he knew it, Steve had a long line of people who wanted his autograph and picture. He was also accumulating quite a bit of fan art from the children's table.

"Alright kids," said Teddy. "Disperse. I promise, I'll bring him back to the coloring table."

The kids groaned and wandered off. Teddy pulled Steve out into the middle of the dance floor just as Katy Perry's Teenage Dream came on. Steve wasn't a bad dancer much to Tony's disappointment. Nothing he did was blackmail worthy and as soon as the phone was put away. Steve and Teddy did the little dance that she taught him that went with the song. As soon as Tony had his camera out again, Teddy's brother Tommy had jumped in with his own goofy dance.

Steve found that he actually liked dancing a lot and didn't immediately run off the floor as soon as the dance was over. He enjoyed how the beat pounded through his chest and how the melody flowed through everyone. How every move seemed to be reflected by whatever somebody else was doing. Even Ida was dancing, but she would only dance if Teddy was near her and even then it seemed like most of her moves were restricted. Tony and Pepper ended up dancing and it was easy to see that they were crazy about each other.

Near the end of the night, Georgia and Inez said their goodbyes and headed up to the honeymoon suite. Sleeping children were picked up out of chairs and out from under tables. People said their goodnights and goodbyes. Teddy hugged several Mutants and wished them safety on their way back to Westchester.

"That was fun," said Steve. "I meant to thank Georgia for inviting us."

"I'll pass it on," said Teddy with a smile.

"That was a beautiful wedding," said Pepper. "You must be so happy for your sister."

"I am."


	13. Chapter 12

**Working Title is the official name of this fanfic. Thank you for your continued support.**

 _June 15th_

It was a hot, June day and thousands of people flooded the streets decked out in their Gay Pride gear for the parade. There were rainbow flags everywhere as well as signs declaring love for partners. Along with the people proud of who they were, were people who had to protest it and bring everybody down. The kind of people that made those in the parade remove all signs that they were there on their way home. They held signs claiming their hatred and spat horrible words. Of course, the news network was covering every inch of the parade and their reporters were interviewing the people in the parade as well as the protestors.

There was one protest group that had gathered around Avengers Tower and spewed their hate-filled words. A few held erroneous signs claiming things like "THE AVENGERS HATE GAYS!" and "CAPTAIN AMERICA WOULDN'T STAND FOR THIS"

That pissed Steve off. He was already planning on joining in and being more subtle, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself.

But Steve was a drama queen.

And drama is as drama does.

"I think it's great that you're doing this," said Teddy. She dressed in the colors of the bisexuality flag and painted one on her cheek. She wore a t-shirt that had a swing on it and the label: _I go both ways_ in large, friendly letters.

"It's what's right," said Steve. He dressed in his Captain America uniform and had his shield. Teddy pinned the bisexual flag to his shoulders and in his free hand was a rainbow flag.

"Let's go."

They took the elevator down and walked out through the lobby. The protestors cheered at first when they saw Steve but those quickly died away when they saw what he was carrying/wearing. Teddy smiled at them smugly and slung an arm around Steve's shoulders. The two of them leaped over the barricade and joined the parade. The people around them chatted excitedly and welcomed Steve. He smiled and shook hands with them.

One of the things Teddy was worried about were the gay people who were biphobic and/or racist. She'd faced problems with them before when she'd join the parades and didn't want Steve to see any backlash. It wouldn't look good for him to get in a fight with anybody. It would be manipulated horribly in the media.

The rest of the Avengers joined in soon after, wanting to show their support. They carried the various flags of the LGBT+ community and walked with the crowds. They stayed for the rest of the parade and once it was over, the Avengers split up to make sure people got home safely, even if it was going to take them all night.

"Captain America!" a reporter called out. "Can we get a word with you?"

"Sure," said Steve. "But make it quick, I got people I promised to walk home."

About a dozen reporters and journalists surrounded him, holding out their microphones and recording devices, clamoring over each other with their questions. Camera men lifted their cameras, trying to get a decent angle on the superhero. Steve pointed to one of the reporters, a young girl who seemed pretty frazzled, and the others quieted.

"Captain Rogers, is this you coming out as gay to the public?" she asked.

"No, I'm coming out as bisexual," he clarified.

This caused an onslaught of questions.

"So, does this mean that America has had a wrong image of Captain America?"

"Are you worried that people will call you un-American?"

"Are you concerned with backlash?"

"My job," Steve interrupted, "as Captain America, is to fight for the freedom of people. I say that everyone here deserves the right to marry whoever they want. I want to be non-discriminatory. I want to be a person the people of America can rely on no matter what their race, gender, religion, or disability is. I will fight anyone who wants to invalidate another person's existence with hate. I wouldn't be a true Christian if I didn't stand up for others against oppressors. I became Captain America, because I didn't like bullies. I still don't like bullies. If you want to spew hate, go ahead and meet me anytime and anywhere. My job, as Captain America, is to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and stand alongside those who can."

Teddy clapped. If anything, Steve was really good with impromptu speeches. He was also good at not swearing when he was in Cap mode. Natasha mentioned that his S.T.R.I.K.E. team had a problem with him swearing a lot over the communicators.

"Have a good night," he said with a nod and turned to the crowd heading home for Brooklyn.

Teddy walked with him. She didn't have any weapon or a super suit, but she would fight anyone who tried to hurt these people.

"So, you're a new Avenger?" A woman with dreads dyed a pretty red asked.

"No, I'm just a nurse and an engineer," Teddy replied.

"So, you don't have a superhero name?" asked a teenage boy who was vigorously trying to scrub off the rainbow on his cheek.

Teddy pulled some makeup wipes out of her bag and passed them out.

"I have one," she said. "I just don't use it.

She saw the confusion, anger, and concern pass across Steve's face as he saw the people who were forced to hide who they were just by going home. Makeup was removed, buttons and other accessories were stuffed into bags, signs were stashed in dumpsters, and the overall mood dampened.

"Seventy years isn't really that long," said Teddy as they headed back to Avengers Tower.

"Hm?"

"Steve… segregation is still within living memory," she said. "I wish it was like Star Trek too, but we're not there yet. It sucks and every day… every day I wish that I didn't have so much against me. I am so… so blessed to be where I am."

"I wish I could help more," said Steve.

"You can't right all the wrongs of this world by yourself," said Teddy.

"No, but I sure as hell can try."

Teddy smiled and bumped him with her shoulder. He was such a great guy. More people needed to be like him.

 _July 11th_

A loud crack of thunder was the first thing that woke Teddy up. Rain pounded heavily against the ceiling to floor windows and the clouds were so thick everything in the room was cast in shades of grey. The only color was the red light from the digital clock/radio.

Wait… her digital clock light was green.

Memories of yesterday came flooding back the more she woke up.

Oh no.

It was one of those weeks where nearly everybody in the tower was gone for one reason or another. Ida and Pepper were gone on a conference, Tony and Bruce went to a science convention, Clint and Natasha went on one of those super secret missions of theirs, and that just left Steve and Teddy to hold down the fort.

Tony figured that he was finally able to distill a vodka that was strong enough to give Mutants like them a buzz, but Teddy didn't crack it open out of respect for Ida's comfort. Not to mention it was a birthday gift for Steve. He'd had a mission on his birthday so there was no official celebration.

With everyone gone, Steve and Teddy decided to try it out. But they weren't going to just sit there and drink like depressed people in a bar. So, Teddy had Jarvis queue up the Star Trek reboots.

"Every time there's a lens flare, we take a shot," Teddy had said, pouring the Vodka into two shot glasses.

"Cheers," said Steve, clinking his glass against hers.

They didn't make it ten minutes…

Teddy sat up, holding the bedsheet to her chest, and switched on the light.

"Steve, wake up," she hissed.

Steve breathed in deeply and opened his eyes, blinking quickly to adjust to the light. He propped himself up and she could see his mind processing what had just happened. His eyes widened.

"Fuck."

"Yeah, that sums it up," said Teddy, flopping onto her back and pressing her palms against her eyes.

"Oh, God. What if I got you pregnant?!" he groaned. "I don't want to put you through that unless it's your choice."

Aw, he was so sweet.

"I can't get pregnant, Steve," she said. "I don't have a uterus. Our bodies are constantly healing, which means that I would constantly be on my period if I did have one. It's impossible, but I don't mind. If I really want kids, there's always adoption."

Steve sighed with relief, but still didn't seem happy about what happened between them.

"Hey," said Teddy, propping herself up on her side. "We're still friends. I refuse to become friends with benefits though. This was a one time thing and it will never happen again _ever_. In fact, let's never talk about this again."

"Agreed."

They were quiet for a moment.

"Um… want to go spar to get some normalcy?" she asked. "I think you're ready to fight a Mutant."

"According to you Red Skull was a Mutant."

"Yes, but I mean one with powers beyond strength," she clarified. "You haven't seen everything that I can do."

"No?"

"No." Stealing his sheet but leaving him with the comforter, she left bringing her discarded clothes with her.

They met on the training floor Tony built into the Tower intending for the Avengers to be able to train there. The floor below it was full of exercise equipment but the floor above it took up three normal floors and included padded floors, climbing walls, obstacle courses, rafters, and custom nerf weapons for practice. Teddy pulled her hair back into a puffy ponytail and wrapped up her hands.

"Alright Menhit," said Steve using her codename, "what _can_ you do as a Mutant."

Teddy grinned, ready to throw him off-kilter. She held out her hand and he took it.

"Try and drag me across the room," she said.

"Alright."

She let him drag her a couple feet before she concentrated on shifting her center mass and condensing it. She slowly sank into the floor and Steve grunted a little as it became harder and harder to drag her along. Soon enough she wouldn't even budge a millimeter.

"How are you doing this?" he puffed.

"Mass and Gravity Manipulation," she said and threw him over her. "Only for myself of course."

"Nifty."

They both jumped to their feet and circled around each other. Teddy darted forward and got a few light punches in before he recognized the pattern and started blocking.

"You're really good at pattern recognition," she commented. "Everybody has a fighting pattern whether they realize it or not. It's just how we as humans work."

"Natasha might argue on that one," he said landing a punch in her stomach and throwing her off balance.

Blocking the next one, Teddy tried to flip him again but he went with it and dragged her down. They fought for a good few minutes so she decided to show him her next trick. She retreated and went for him springing into a leap and letting her gravity decrease. She practically flew over his head and landed gently on the obstacle course.

"Like Superman," she said, leaning against a post.

"Think I might be able to do something like that?" he asked stepping back and getting a running start before leaping onto the same obstacle. However, he didn't even make it half her height and ended up scrabbling for purchase on the ropes.

"Mm… probably not. We could enhance it with Hank's serum but you might not want to do that. There's no telling the end result."

"I think I'm just blessed to be the way I am." He said scaling the rest of the way to her level.

"But are you happy?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes," he said. "Before the serum I was invisible… now that I'm like this everybody stares. I don't know which I prefer and it's uncomfortable. Especially since there are women who like the way I look now but wouldn't even give me the time of day before."

"Mm… shallow," said Teddy.

"Would you have even looked twice?" Steve asked.

"I would think you're cute but then I'd be worried about crushing you like a twig," she answered truthfully and pushed him into the "spider's ropes". He twisted around and grabbed on to stop his descent.

"You're too dramatic for your own good, Steven," she continued with a light hearted smile.

"So I've been told," he laughed and jumped onto the ground. "Are we going to chit chat or fight?"

"Por que no los dos?" she asked jumping off and slowly floating down.

Surprisingly, the awkward tension between them had broken easily and they were okay. That night would probably constantly be in the back of their minds for centuries but they weren't about to let it ruin the good friendship they had going.

 _July 21st_

The Avengers and friends currently on planet Earth were gathered in the conference room on the top floor of Avengers Tower. It was also where they kept all of their files. It was a wood paneled room tastefully decorated with a single painted picture of Steve in his classic Captain America Uniform. It seemed very ordinary until you read the fine print and saw that it actually said: _I WANT YOU to vaccinate your fucking kids_. Teddy found it on Etsy and might have "accidentally" left it up on Tony's computer.

"I bet you're wondering why you're all here," said Tony.

"For a charity ball?" said Ida, not taking her eyes off her tablet.

"Charity, yes. Ball, ehh, I'm not so sure," said Tony. "I'm a bit bored with balls. No, I was thinking we do something more interesting, more…"

"Flamboyant? Attention-grabbing?" Teddy suggested. "Inclusive?"

"All very good and accurate words Mr. President," said Tony. "I was thinking we should do a Charity Telethon."

"Somebody watched the Muppets too many times," said Natasha snarkily.

"Shh. Let him speak," said Teddy, nodding for Tony to continue. It was important to hear him out. At the very least it was courteous, especially when they all had custom apartments rent free.

"Thank you." Tony cleared his throat and continued. "Each one of us is going to pick a non-profit charity and we will run a Charity show that takes call-in donations. We will also set up a website that leads to links about what these organizations are all about and donate buttons will be there as well."

"Great," said Pepper. "We'll call in some celebrities and guest appearances. That sort of thing?"

"Yes and I think each one of us should do something. A performance piece if you will."

Teddy brightened up, an excellent idea coming to her head. She'd talk it over with Tony, but she was sure Disney would allow them the rights since it was for charity.

"Hey, Cap, you gonna do Star Spangled Man With a Plan?" Clint teased.

"Oh, _fuck_ no," said Steve shaking his head. "Never again."

"It's okay. You can do something with me," said Teddy. "Remember when we saw Pippin last month?"

He nodded.

"Let's do _On the Right Track_."

"Yeah?"

"It's not that long, you get to sing a little and dance a little, but I'll take over everything so all you gotta do is follow my lead."

"Excellent," said Tony. "Everybody figure something out. Rehearse. Pepper, Ida, set up a time slot with a station. Try ABC, they love this stuff. Got good shows too. Not to mention Disney owns them and I'm pretty sure they own us. I'm sure we can get some celebrities and comedians to perform."

"What if we're not… into performance?" said Bruce.

"Try going all Bill Nye," said Teddy. "Or, better yet, do a piece _with_ Bill Nye. Everybody loves Bill Nye the Science Guy."

" _I_ love Bill Nye," said Ida. She looked up from her tablet. "ABC is going to set up an appointment for the time slot in two weeks. We need to have our lineup by then as well as a venue."

"Great. Fantastic." Tony clapped his hands together. "Class dismissed."

"Is this really a good idea?" Steve asked.

"It's for charity," Teddy reasoned. "I'm choosing a charity that helps LGBT youth. One that focuses on minorities."

"I suppose I can pull out the ballet shoes," Natasha mused.

The next few weeks were spent preparing for the Charity Telethon. They managed to get a three hour time slot with ABC and advertisements (starring Tony) were aired right away. They also tweeted about it and posted ads on Facebook. The plan was that they would get celebrities to man the phones as well as celebrities to perform for the Telethon. Texts could also be sent in and depending on which Avenger's name you put, the money would go to the charity of their choosing. A stage would be set up in Central Park so that people from all backgrounds could attend. The props used in the show would be donated to theater departments in schools all over the city. It was amazing how fast they were able to set this whole thing up. Teddy worked with Steve everyday. They would leave the Tower so that Tony couldn't spy on them. Not that he had time to anyway.

Teddy was actually surprised with Tony. This whole thing sparked something in him and he seemed truly excited to be putting on a show for charity. She called in reinforcements and rehearsed a separate number with them. Ida, albeit reluctantly, agreed to take part but only because it was for charity.

Performers from everywhere jumped at the chance to be on stage with the Avengers. They got Broadway stars, Actors, magicians, ventriloquists, comedians, dancers, and more. Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson readily agreed to do a set with Bruce.

Tony declared himself the host of the show since he was so charismatic.

At 5:43p.m. Eastern Time on the 23rd of August, everything was ready. Central Park was filled with people decked out in their Avengers merchandise. To the side of the stage were rows of celebrities from Beyoncé to Meryl Streep and Kevin Hart to Dirk Nowitzki. Teddy unashamedly stuck her autograph book nearby so that they would all sign it, then headed to her spot on stage behind the curtains. They began on a large platform and would have to climb down a set of stairs. Scary to do in high heels, but they were all used to it. Well, maybe not Ida, but her mutation would prevent her from falling.

Teddy called in a couple friends from her Burlesque days, Courtney, Darnelle, and Liu. They were thrilled to get a chance to perform in front of so many people and have their chance of fame on television. It was at least something to put on their resumé.

All five women were dressed in flowing, greek style gowns in hot rod red and gold. Stage hands made sure that their microphones were all attached properly and turned on ready to be connected when it was ready. Once that was done, they all communicated in sign language just in case somebody turned the mics on way too soon.

The crowds cheered wildly as the telltale tail of the Iron Man suit soared through the sky signaling the start of the telethon. Tony landed and stepped out of his suit wearing a very expensive tuxedo.

"Thank you all so much for coming," he said spreading his arms out. "Or if you couldn't be here in person for turning on the television. I know that I typically throw my money at problems to make them go away, but tonight my job is for you to throw _your_ money at problems." He chuckled a little and the crowd did too. "Really though, as Avengers our job is to serve and protect the Earth. And not just from threats, extra-terrestrial or no. No, as defenders of the Earth it is our job to bring awareness to our community. Everyone can make a difference and be a hero to somebody else. And so, each of us have chosen a charity tonight to represent. When you call our hotline number, please state your donation and the name of the Avenger and your donation will be sent to that charity.

"You know… my father liked to consider himself a humanitarian, but he always saw the big picture. He never really thought to look at home—"

"Will you listen to him?" Darnelle interrupted. The curtains opened and a spotlight landed on all five women. "He's making this sound like some dull, charity ball."

"Lighten up, dude," said Courtney, tossing her scarlet red hair over her shoulder.

"We'll take it from here, darling," said Teddy.

"You go girls," said Tony, exiting the stage.

A funky beat began to play.

"We are the muses," said Teddy with a bow. "Goddesses of the arts and proclaimers of heroes."

"Heroes like Iron Man," said Ida in a honey voice while fanning her face.

"Honey, you mean 'Hunky' Man," said Darnelle, making the audience laugh. "Whooo! I'd like to make some—"

" _Our_ story," Teddy interrupted pretending to be annoyed, "actually begins, way beyond Iron Man. Many decades ago."

They sang their rendition of the Gospel Truth, making their way down the stairs.

"He met a German Scientist who took a chance on a skinny kid from Brooklyn," said Teddy. "They gave him a serum, put him in a machine and gave him the title of Captain America." The music transitioned to 'Zero to Hero'. "From that day forward our boy Rogers could do no wrong. He was so _hot_ steam looked cool."

On the opening note, they tore off the greek gowns to reveal halter top, navy blue jumpsuits with white stripes and silver stars lining the sides. Teddy smiled big and began to sing.

"Bless my soul, Cap was on a roll!"

They sang and danced their rendition of 'Zero to Hero' while a little montage of Steve as Captain America played on the video screens. Teddy felt exhilarated at being seen by so many people. Even better, they were cheering and she could hear the phones ringing off the hook.

She had an opportunity to glance off stage during the 'when he smiled the girls went wild with oohs and ahhs'. She pretended to swoon and when the other girls caught her she saw Steve watching it with his arms crossed around his ribs. He was definitely embarrassed about it, but the audience just ate it up. Little kids waved around their action figures and toy shields and the adults looked like they were barely containing themselves.

"Yes, indeed!"

The stage went dark. While the crowd cheered and applauded, Steve, dressed in his new stealth suit, took his place at the bottom of the staircase and the Muses exited, save for Teddy. She turned on her heel to face him and waited for the applause to die down and the next song to begin.

A jazzy piano riff began to play and a white light bathed the stage.

"You look frenzied," Teddy sang, moving towards him smoothly without picking her feet up off the floor, "you look frazzled. Peaked as any alp."

Teddy danced slinkily around him as she sang. She could see the other Avengers out of the corner of her eye, eagerly waiting to see their serious, no nonsense Captain sing and dance.

"Cause you're on the Right Track."

"On the," Steve sang, awkwardly following her dance moves as they rehearsed. "Right Track."

People liked Steve's voice, but they found his awkward dancing rather funny. Well, the jokes on them. Steve was a terrific dancer and as the song progressed he showed it. Yes, Teddy did most of the leading and lifting but he could pull some pretty fancy tricks as well.

Steve ended up smiling with her. Not his fake, Captain America smile, but the one where one corner of his mouth was quirked up in a little grin.

"What I've left behind looks trifling," Steve sang, "What's ahead looks black. Am I doomed to spend my life lingering on?"

"Lingering on."

"Just lingering on."

"Malingerin' on!" They sang, belting out their high notes before Steve groaned and collapsed onto the steps

"I'll never find it!" he shouted. "Never, never, never! GAH!"

"Easy," said Teddy, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Baby, you're on the R-i-i-i-i-ightt—" she let go and did a fancy spin until she was in the same spot as before— "Track!"

Tony, looking rather impressed, entered from stage right applauding along with everyone else.

"How 'bout that?" he said. "Captain America is a triple threat. Anything you'd like to say Cap?"

Steve chuckled and wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead.

"Well, now I know that if we achieve world peace I'll have a spot in musical theater," he joked.

Tony genuinely laughed and clapped Steve on the shoulder.

"That was Teddy Williams and Captain America representing their charities of LGBT Asylum Support Task Force and Operation Homefront."

Only once their microphones were off their person and the next act began did Steve finally speak.

"That was a fuckin' rush," he said laughing.

"Isn't performing fun?" said Teddy, pulling on a robe over her outfit so it wouldn't get dirty.

"Way better than my USO days," he agreed. "And I gotta say the opening number is a bit more snappy than Star Spangled Man."

"I figured you might," she said. "I'm still holding you to the matching costumes this Halloween."

"You betcha," he chuckled.

All-in-all the Telethon was a success. They raised several million in total for their charities including donations from big companies who promised to match donations. People loved it and there was talk of doing it again next year. Not to mention that Pepper and Ida got several people on to follow the money and make sure that it was put to use and not scraped off into pockets of people who didn't need it.

Teddy felt that it really gave Tony a self-esteem boost and balanced out some of the guilt he felt about his past. She also noticed that he slept at least four hours a night for a whole two weeks afterwards which was fantastic. Perhaps she could encourage him to do something like that around Christmas. A massive food drive, opening shelters, and a Toys-for-Tots, business suits and shoes for adults type thing.

Yeah, that'd be good.


	14. Chapter 13

_August 25th, 2014_

It was a gorgeous day. A mild breeze hung in the air whispering the promise of an early Fall and the sky was such a vibrant blue that it almost didn't look real. Central Park was full of children, itching to work out the pent-up energy from spending all day in school and tired parents who were mentally preparing themselves for the busy business season.

Teddy shouldered her purse and swung the shopping bag in her hand. Ida's birthday was just eight days away and Teddy was in charge of the party. They were going to celebrate it that night just the two of them but Tony insisted on throwing a shindig in her honor, so Teddy ran out to buy another gift for her gal pal for the event. Nothing big, just a cute sweater. And if Teddy happened to buy herself a pair of jeans that happened to be her size while she was at it, well that was just a win-win.

As she passed through a small farmer's market, she noticed the SHIELD agents that constantly trailed after her and waved to them. Laughing to herself when they blinked and waved back awkwardly, she looked ahead and pretended they weren't watching her.

A man in a purple suit stepped in front of her. He was white and skinny with shaggily cut brown hair and a bit of stubble. On his right arm was a woman that was pretty much real-life Snow White with ebony hair and fair skin. What set off the bad vibes, though, was her never wavering smile.

"Uh…" Teddy paused and moved around them. "Excuse me."

"Hold on."

She stopped in her tracks and frowned. That was weird.

"You would like to tell me your name."

"Theodora." Her mouth provided. Okay this was really weird. She should be down the street by now, not talking to some creepy white couple straight out of a Stephen King novel.

"Smile for me."

The corners of her mouth stretched up. Oh shit, he was a Mutant.

"You want to come with us, yeah?"

Nodding mutely, she slid her arm in his left. Her heart pounded in her chest and fear consumed her as she did what he asked with no resistance anywhere but in her mind.

"Stop!"

The two SHIELD Agents had intercepted them and raised their guns.

"Let the girl go," one of them said. Teddy recognized her as Agent Ramirez. The other was Agent Johnson. She made them both peach cobbler one time.

The man tilted his head like he was considering his options. With a smile, he turned to Teddy.

"Theodora, you would like to kill them."

Yes… wait, no. No, she… she didn't. Clenching her fists, she launched forward and smashed their heads together. Their weapons went off and the people on the closest playground started screaming and gathering up their children abandoning strollers and backpacks.

Ramirez and Johnson crumpled to the ground, the sides of their skulls caved in.

"Ah, so you are strong." The man in the purple suit said gleefully. "Good. I'm tired of making my Jessica do all the dirty work."

Jessica just stared straight ahead, her smile still intact, but Teddy could see how empty her eyes were.

Shaking. Teddy stared at the two agents in horror. They were good people with families and friends. She just killed them both like they were flies.

"Theodora, come along."

Obediently, she turned and went back to him.

"I'm Kilgrave by the way," he said and kissed her hand.

Lord, please help her.

Steve had had a bad feeling for the past week. He and Natasha were on a mission that called for a media blackout, meaning no texting or calling.

Back at the base, they were finally able to get their phones from lock up. Natasha looked at her messages and frowned. She swiped her thumb across the screen and held the device to her ear.

"Clint? What's wrong?"

Steve glanced over and looked down at his phone. He had about a million messages from Tony, Bruce, Clint, and even Ida. He opened them up and went to the earliest ones. A group text started by Teddy.

He opened it up and his blood ran cold.

 **Teddy: I didn't mean to.**

 **Tony: What happened? Where are you?**

 **Tony: Teddy. Answer me please.**

 **Bruce: What's going on?**

 **Teddy: 60th-B-Way**

 **Teddy: 5 - 59**

 **Teddy: 7 - 44**

 **Teddy: 9 - 46**

 **Teddy: Help me**

Her messages ended there.

The rest of his messages were the Avengers trying to contact him.

"Shit…" Natasha muttered.

"There's been a situation," Fury said, approaching the pair.

"Yeah." Natasha held up her phone. "We've noticed."

Fury's expression was grim. "Your friend Theodora killed four of our Agents. Two were on guard watch and the other three were going in to get her out. One of them made it back, told us to back off and immediately shot himself in the head."

He tossed a file on the table and some pictures spilled out.

A pit opened in Steve's stomach, a sick feeling washing in as he stared at the photos. Each one had their skull caved in.

"Why isn't she breaking free?" he asked. "She's strong enough to do this, she can—"

"Kilgrave," Natasha said softly.

"What?" He stared at her.

"Ask Clint," she provided. "He knows more about it than I do."

"They're on their way," Fury added. "This is going to have to be between the Avengers. I can't afford to send in people for her to murder."

"You say that as if this is her choice," Steve snapped.

"They were killed in the most brutal way possible," Fury shot back. "She could've at least given them a chance of living."

"Maybe she doesn't have a choice!"

"She doesn't," said Clint, walking in. He jerked his head to the side and led everyone down the hall to a conference room.

"What's going on?" Tony asked. "Where is Teddy? Ida is back at home having a complete meltdown."

"She's not the only one," Bruce muttered, as he stared at Tony out the corner of his eye. Even with that remark he kept checking his blood pressure watch.

"His name is Kilgrave," Clint said.

"Did his parents name him that or did he come up with that himself?" Tony asked using humor as his defense mechanism.

"I don't know. I only saw him once, when I was still in the circus," Clint took a deep breath and sat down to explain the story.

"The guy was a teenager then and walked in like he owned the place. When he demanded a private show, everyone laughed thinking it was some sort of joke. When the Ringmaster agreed, we played along. Maybe he was the son of a rich guy and we were going to hold him hostage for money. So, we put on the show and he starts shouting out new tricks for us to do. The crazy thing is that they _did_ them.

Clint took a deep breath.

"There was a girl that I really liked. Hannah. She was an acrobat and… Kilgrave made them get rid of the net. He… he then told me to fire arrows at her. I was still young, I wasn't as good as I was now." He rubbed his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut at the painful memory. "I hit her. Right in the stomach. And so then I turned on him, ready to do the same.

"Somebody punched me in the ear and knocked my hearing aid out. Kilgrave must've told everyone to stay still until he left. Nobody moved as I chased that bastard. I couldn't hear him, so his powers didn't have an effect on me.

"Our strongman tackled me to the ground and he got away. From that day on, I vowed I would always hit what I meant to hit. So that no one got hurt like that again."

Everyone absorbed the information.

"I'm going to get her back," Clint promised. "I'm the only one immune, so it'll have to be me."

"No." Steve said standing up. "I'm coming with you. She… she's my best friend, Clint. I'm not letting another one go. Not again."

Clint stared at him silently, then nodded. "We'll get you soundproof headphones, but I'm the leader of this mission."

Steve nodded. "Anything, as long as we get her back."

"Both of you stay here until I get back," Kilgrave said, wiggling Teddy's phone in the air. "I just need to take care of this."

Both women remained still until the elevator down the hall dinged. It was the first time they were alone together. Teddy constantly stood guard outside, but her interaction with either was minimal. Unless there was some sick fantasy Kilgrave wanted to fulfill that might leave Jessica injured. But a near-invincible bodyguard? How could he pass that up.

The scariest part about all of this was that Kilgrave gave them nice things. They got designer clothes, went to the best hotels, and ate at five-star restaurants. It was as if he thought that it would make up for his constant rape of both of them and his use of Teddy as a killing machine.

"We'll get out of here," Teddy said shakily. "The Avengers will come for me and they'll help you too."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's what they do. They're my friends. They wouldn't leave me behind."

Jessica sighed and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "If they get you out but not me… don't come back for me. Okay? We can't risk Kilgrave having power over an Avenger."

Teddy nodded. "Okay." She reached out and held Jessica's hand. "I'm just glad you're not actually his level of crazy."

"I'm sorry he's making you do those things," Jessica said softly. "It's sick and he's only using you this way because I'm his favorite."

"It's not your fault… No matter how much blame he puts on anyone he was given these powers and it's his decision to use them like this."

It had been two weeks.

Mission Team: Rescue the President finally tracked Kilgrave down to a fancy restaurant. Steve and Clint went over the plan once before entering. Steve with his sound cancelling headphones and Clint without his hearing aids. All Steve could hear now was the echo of his own blood rushing through his ears.

They entered the building. Clint said something which Steve was pretty sure was "Let them go."

Kilgrave stood up and said something. All of the restaurant patrons, waiters, and chefs left in robotic synchrony. It was very creepy.

Steve looked over at Teddy and the woman they identified as Jessica Jones. Both stared at him hopefully, but seemed unable to move. Both had obviously been dressed the way Kilgrave wanted them to. Teddy's beautiful cloud of hair had been straightened to look like Jessica's. Both wore full faces of makeup and floral dresses that seemed stiff and uncomfortable.

He nodded to them and flung his shield at Kilgrave.

Teddy leapt out of the chair and stood between Kilgrave and the shield. She was hit squarely in the chest and didn't budge an inch. Bruises and blood bloomed on the spot, but immediately closed up.

He looked at Kilgrave, who smirked and opened his mouth. Years of being hard-of-hearing helped Steve read the two words said.

End him.

Teddy ran straight for Steve, her face twisted in agony almost like she was screaming at him to forget her and run. He braced himself as she slammed into his chest with the force of an armored van. He coughed and struggled to breathe after the impact. One hit and his ribs were already fractured. She punched him several times in the face just avoiding his nose and eyes. It hurt like hell but even as bone shattered with each hit, he knew she was pulling her punches. She shook with effort as she fought Kilgrave's orders. The tears that streamed down her face plunked down on his.

Suddenly, she stopped and ripped off his noise-cancelling headphones. Kilgrave's face appeared in his line of sight which was already blurring.

"Do not follow us again. She'll want to jump off Avengers Tower if you force her to leave me."

The order resonated through Steve as he blacked out.

On the way to a new mission in Eastern Europe (something about a Ten Rings base) Steve spent the plane ride watching videos of him and Teddy on his phone. He was re-watching the bloopers from the Educational Videos they made earlier that year.

 _"I don't know," he said tugging on the chin strap of the uniform he wore during the battle of New York. "It's kind of tight."_

 _"It makes your face look fat," said Teddy. She was dressed in a yellow and blue uniform with a large_ X _across her chest. "And that shade of blue makes you look pasty."_

 _"Oh, tell me how you really feel."_

 _"I did. Go on, do the Detention thing."_

 _Steve rolled his eyes and sat on a chair backwards._

 _"So," he said, "you got detention. You fucked up—"_

 _"You can't say the fuck word."_

 _"Just keep going," said the director._

 _"— take it from someone who spent sixty-six years buried in ice. The thing that is cool is following the rules."_

 _"Steve, you haven't followed the rules a day in your life."_

 _"They don't know that!"_

 _"I know that."_

"Watching them again?" said Natasha sitting down next to him.

"I really miss her," he sighed leaning back and pausing the video. "Bucky… Peggy… and now Teddy."

"Maybe you should stop befriending people who have the letter 'y' as the last letter in their nickname," said Natasha.

"I did as she suggested," he continued, ignoring the comment, "I saw Peggy. We talked for a while. It hurts when she forgets I was even there but I'm glad I went."

"We'll get Teddy back," said Natasha. "Clint's been planning things out. I know she killed quite a few—"

"She's not a killer!" Steve snapped.

"I never said she was."

"No, but it's what everyone is thinking," he muttered.

"We'll get her back," Natasha repeated. "Some way. Somehow."


	15. Chapter 14

_November 8th, 2014_

It was a bleak morning. Cold and gray. People stared down at the ground as they passed, protecting their faces from the sleet that fell from the sky. A cold wind blew through the city. The kind that cut through the warmest of coats and made your bones feel like they were made of ice. The kind that made your lungs burn when you breathed and your nose go numb. Teddy shuffled in front Kilgrave and Jessica, feeling like the city around them. She bowed her head and murmured the same prayer she said every day.

"Please, Lord. Free me from this."

The ground opened and swallowed her.

A different kind of wind whipped around her. An unnaturally green sky greeted her when she opened her eyes.

Letting out a shriek, she flailed around trying to remember how to reverse her gravity. She released a shaky breath when her descent slowed to a less deadly pace, towards a jungle that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Before she even reached the canopy, she was swallowed up again.

This happened over and over, the skies expanding to reveal portals to other worlds. It would have been beautiful if she wasn't so terrified of falling to her death or getting hit by a plane or that really ugly purple bird that tried to eat her when she passed through the green world again.

She found herself in grey New York City once again, this time directly on top of Avengers tower. Slowing herself the best she could, she still landed on the landing pad with a bone rattling thud, cracking the ground and shaking the foundations. Trembling like a leaf, she dragged herself along until she was out of the wind, before slowly standing up gripping the wall so hard it bent under her fingers. She leaned against the door and pressed on the intercom.

"Jarvis."

 **"Yes, Dr. Williams?"**

"Please, let me in."

 **"Of course. Welcome home."**

As soon as the doors slid open, she stumbled in. At that point, it was like her mind shut down and she was just a spectator to everything.

The common area was devoid of human life, so she made her way to the elevator to get to her floor.

She found Ida sitting on the couch watching the news anxiously. She didn't typically show it but Teddy knew because she was leaning forward slightly and her foot kept twitching and slightly shifting positions. The Avengers were out trying rescue people from the things that exited the wormholes. Apparently, an alien ship landed in Greenwich but fighter planes were going through serious diversions caused by the out of whack gravity.

Ida looked over and gasped when she saw her best friend, tears pooling in her brown eyes.

Teddy shuffled over, laid down on the couch, rested her head on Ida's lap, and began to cry. Everything she did and everything that happened to her this past month-and-a-half flooded and swirled around inside her mind.

All of the emotions she had been forced to suppress rose up until she was nearly choking on them. Her tears were fat and ugly, drenching her cheeks and Ida's brown corduroy clad lap. She felt her friend's small hand rub up and down her back.

"You're home, now," Ida said through her own tears. "You're home."

The Avengers piled into the elevator, breathing heavily from the fight. Several groups of aliens decided to riot when they found themselves on a new planet. And then there were the giant purple sabertooth bear-pigs.

"Well, that sucked." Tony said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"How's everything here, Jarvis?" Tony asked his A.I. butler. "Are Ida and Pepper okay?"

 **"They are fine. They are currently drawing Dr. Williams a bath."**

There was silence so dead, a pin dropping would be equal to an explosion. The team exchanged looks and scrambled to press the button for Teddy and Ida's floor.

To their disappointment, the first floor was empty.

"I'll check on them," Natasha volunteered and jogged up the stairs.

The guys stood around the living room in wait.

Steve paced in front of the tv, his mind filled with millions of thoughts he could barely process. His best friend was finally home after being trapped by an evil bastard that made her hurt people. What kind of mind set would she be in? He didn't even want to know what Kilgrave did to her. Well, he did but he didn't.

"Teddy," Tony breathed.

She was standing at the base of the stairs with Ida and Natasha supporting her from either side. She had been wrapped up in her fluffy, pink bathrobe and a blanket was draped over her shoulders. Her face was blank, but her eyes were puffy from crying.

Steve was across the room in seconds and engulfed Teddy in a giant hug. He wanted to apologize for not saving her, but when he ran the words through his head they sounded forced and stupid.

"Give her a bit of air," Ida said gently.

"Oh, right." He let go and backed away.

Ida steered the taller woman towards the couch and made her sit down. "Pepper is making you some tea. Is that okay?"

Teddy nodded and bit her lip. She began moving her hands around her in Sign Language. Ida's eyes turned blue for a moment.

"Yeah, I'll call your parents. Elijah and Deborah have been worried sick about you. I'll ask Tony if he can send his plane to pick them up from Virginia."

Teddy signed her thanks and stood up shakily, immediately collapsing back on her couch; she hugged her knees to her chest instead, stared at the blank television and said nothing. Everything that happened still hadn't set with her. There was so much blood. Each killing ran through her mind and the last week Kilgrave decided he wanted her as well as Jessica…

Everyone was quiet. Reluctant to leave, but unsure of what to say or do for their friend. Ida sat beside her and just held her tightly.

"Your parents are coming in by tomorrow. I called Bill and he's agreed to meet them there with the plane," she said.

"Ok," Teddy whispered.

"Do you want me to put on a movie?" Ida asked. "We can watch all the Disney Movie cartoons ever made. Except for the really racist ones."

"Ok."

"We should probably go," said Pepper. "Give her a bit of space."

Teddy didn't care whether they stayed or left, but she was relieved that Ida was with her. Not to mention she was also in a huge fortress run by a machine that couldn't be swayed by words.

"We're here for you," said Tony. "Whatever you need."

"Ok."

Jarvis queued up Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while the others left to go clean alien goop off themselves and hang up their uniforms. By the time the Dwarfs were singing about washing their hands, Steve returned dressed in sweatpants and a clean t-shirt.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Teddy shook her head and moved her feet out of the way of the third cushion. Steve sat down and crossed his arms over his stomach. His jaw was tight and he was definitely angry at Kilgrave, but he was attempting to stay calm for her sake.

They watched Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. Teddy dozed off during the AristoCats. She was vaguely aware of Ida and Steve moving so she could stretch out. For a moment, everything was peaceful until…

 _Smile._

"Teddy, wake up!"

Teddy sat up with a gasp. She was covered with sweat and after swiping a hand across her cheek she realized she was crying as well. Ida was crouched down beside her, eyes wide with worry.

"You were screaming," said Ida.

"I'm ok," Teddy whispered.

Obviously, she wasn't okay.

"Your parents are here," said Ida after studying her a minute. "They're on their way up."

The door broke off its hinges as Deborah and Elijah entered the apartment. Her father scooped her up and sat down, cradling her in his arms. Her mom split in two, one sat down beside them and took her daughter's hand and the other went into the kitchen chattering anxiously about the need for breakfast and how her daughter looked peaky. Teddy buried her face in her father's neck and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Where is the son-of-a-bitch who did this?" Elijah asked Steve angrily.

"I… I don't know," he said helplessly. "I don't even know how Teddy got away."

"Portals," she croaked.

"Turns out they were heaven sent," said Deborah whisking milk and eggs together and simultaneously kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Brought our little girl back."

Everyone took vacation time to stay with Teddy, taking shifts in keeping her company. She thought about protesting this, but the thought of being left alone terrified her even more than the guilt of having people's lives be put on hold for her.

Her sister called and made plans to visit soon. Teddy understood that she couldn't just take off from work and had to plan. She was just happy her sister was coming in a few short weeks to see her. Georgia could calm her mind.

Teddy spent most days in a stupor trying not to think about what happened yet thinking about it all the time. She knew she should see someone about it. She knew she should talk about it. Hell, she made everyone to talk about their problems why was it so hard for her to do the same? She still felt trapped. Trapped by her own thoughts and nobody even asked her about what happened except for how she escaped. They'd wake her up from a nightmare and ask her if she's okay. She wanted to reach out, but every time she was about to she felt like she was restrained. Mama and Daddy could only stay about a week before they reluctantly had to go back to Virginia.

On November 20th, when it was Clint's turn to keep her company before he and Natasha left for a super secret mission he carried in a pot of tortilla soup and ladled her a bowl. He sat down across from her on the couch and studied her carefully.

"Eat." he ordered. "I noticed you're only having the bare minimum calories for someone of your Mutation. You are not starving yourself on my watch."

After three bowls, he cleared her dishes habitually washing them as she made everyone do on her floor. She had grown lax in her tidiness leaving clothes on the floor, toothpaste on her counter, and wrappers on her table.

Once he was done, he sat back down across from her.

"I know what you're going through," he said. "When I was under Loki's control, he made me kill and steal. I did horrible things."

"Did Loki make you want to do those things?" she asked. Somebody was finally talking to her about it, she wasn't going to pass it up.

Clint sighed and rubbed his temple, he'd never really talked about what happened to him either. "Yeah, he did. I thought everything was so clear and that I had to do those things to save everyone."

"I felt like I was trapped in my own mind," Teddy said. "My body moved by itself and I couldn't even scream. He told me to want it, but I didn't. Not really. I had no control."

She sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve only to have fresh tears replace the old ones. "I killed people Clint. How do I cope with that? I had my mind and body violated and I—" her voice broke as she lost the words to describe how she felt.

Clint hugged her tightly and rubbed her back. "There's no magic spell for you to move on from this. There's no straight line to recovery. I can't even say if things will return to the way they were. But you are not alone in this. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He sat back in his spot and flicked on the TV for her. "You can talk to me when I'm around. Judgmental free zone here."

"Thanks."

He gave her a small smile. "Let's just forget about everything for now and watch tv. We can talk more later."

She nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"STEVEN!"

Steve jumped awake and grabbed for his shield. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Teddy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I didn't say anything. It was the TV."

He looked over to find a brightly colored show playing. A pale, bird-like woman was shouting frantically at a pudgy boy in a red shirt.

"You're no longer my favorite Steven that wears a star on his chest," Teddy said matter-of-factly.

He blinked in confusion. "What?"

She pointed to the TV, where the child was playing a ukulele and singing about a giant woman.

"Steven Universe."

"Are you still watching that show?" Ida asked, walking into the room. "You've been watching it non-stop for three days."

"Not true," Teddy said blandly. "I watched a documentary on the sixties with Steve, he fell asleep, and _then_ I put on Steven Universe."

Steve sighed and rubbed his face. "Do I want to know?"

"Yes." Teddy picked up the remote and scrolled through the episode selection. "I'm starting the series over."

Brightly colored characters popped up on the screen.

 _We are the Crystal Gems._

 _We'll always save the day!_

Teddy hugged her knees to her chest. "Watch."

Steve sat up and did as she asked. He wasn't one to turn down a good cartoon. He constantly brought up the fact they didn't show them before movies anymore. Plus, Teddy looked happier and more alert than she had since she came home. True, she didn't smile at all, but her eyes were brighter and her lips were motioning the words of the theme song.


	16. Chapter 15

Everyone had to go back to work after Thanksgiving. Teddy went back to work in the lab with Bruce and Tony feeling that it was better just to keep up with her work than hide in her room and watch movies. She did a lot of running on the specially made elliptical trainer in the gym and lifted weights. She, Tony, and Bruce also reenacted a few Mythbusters episodes on days that they had creation block.

After nearly a month of just trying to spend each day getting up, bathing, and eating enough, Teddy decided she wanted to get rid of some of her reminders of Kilgrave.

The easiest thing to start with were her dresses. She shoved every dress she owned, from cocktail to sun to formal, into a black garbage bag and put on her jacket and a pair of boots. There was a donation truck just a block away where could bring the clothes, including the outfit Kilgrave stole for her. The one she was wearing when she was set free.

The elevator trip was quick and the security guards waved to her and gave her an encouraging smile as she passed.

The second she stepped outside of the glass doors she froze.

Everything was louder than she remembered, it was too open. What if Kilgrave found her? She couldn't be out here by herself? Where was Ida? Clint? Somebody?

"There!"

The Paparazzi that lie in wait for the Avengers descended on her, snapping photos and demanding her attention.

"Hey! Look over here!"

"Teddy look this way!"

"Smile for the camera!"

 _Smile._

Dropping the bag, she retreated into the Tower. The security guards raced past her to block the press giving her enough time to get in the elevator. She leaned against the side, breathing heavily.

 **"Doctor Williams, I am detecting increased heart rate and rising cortisol levels. Would you like me to notify Ida?"**

"Yes. Please."

 **"She is in a meeting and will be to your floor in thirty minutes."**

No. She couldn't wait that long. Teddy dug around in her purse and pulled out her phone. After failing her passcode attempts a couple of times, she pressed the home button.

"Call Big, Buff, and Blond," she said into the microphone.

 **"O.K. Calling Big, Buff, and Blond."**

Teddy leaned against the wall and held the phone to her ear.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hi, Steve," she said breathlessly, "I'm kind of freaking out right now so just talk to me."

 _"Oh, uh, sure. Okay. Um…"_

"Anything. First subject that pops into your head."

 _"Uh… there's this nurse that lives across the hall from me. She seems really nice."_

"Mm, so you're into her?" Teddy asked.

 _"Yeah, I am. At least dating wise."_

"Not boinking wise?"

 _"Don't be crass,"_ he scolded. _"But yes."_

Teddy chuckled and exited the elevator on her floor.

"You're not swearing," she pointed out.

 _"People around. I won't say the fuck word around co-workers."_

"Ah, I see. Anyway, what's her name?"

 _"Kate. I saw it on her name tag when I was passing by. I haven't really talked to her yet."_

"Is she cute? Totally your type?"

 _"Actually no. She's more your type. Blonde."_

"Heart wants what the heart wants," said Teddy. "I know this one girl who was like a human Barbie doll and she always went for these scrawny redheads but she ended up marrying a guy who was big and brunet. They just had that 'wow moment'."

 _"Yeah. She's also a nurse. Well, most likely. Either that or a pharmacist."_

"Helloooo, nurse!" Teddy joked, sitting down on the couch and curling up.

 _"Ha ha! Yeah. Are you calmer now?"_

"Yes. Thanks."

 _"What happened? If you don't mind me asking?"_

Teddy sighed and twisted a bit of hair around her finger. "I think I'm agoraphobic… I was going to drop stuff off at a donation place, right? And the minute I stepped outside I was swarmed by paparazzi and then I got scared that Kilgrave was among them and would take me away again." Her voice broke and she bit her lip. "I'm still scared."

 _"Jarvis has protocols set up against him and nobody can take you down,"_ said Steve reassuringly. _"We'll keep you safe."_

"I know," she sighed. "Hey, maybe when you come back up we can order new food from different places… Before I started working for Tony we wanted to become foodie buddies right?"

 _"Yeah, that'd be fun."_

The elevator dinged.

"I gotta go. Ida's here." She pressed the end call button.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ida asked kicking off her high heels. "What happened?"

"Panic attack," Teddy answered truthfully.

"Oh…. And you can't take a Xanax because your body wouldn't process it."

"Right…"

"Maybe Bruce could come up with something," she suggested as she set up the table for tea. "Or Hank."

"No!" said Teddy sharply. "If they do that I might become and addict and I can't do that to you. Not after all you've been through."

Ida pursed her lips as she remembered her mother. She twitched and shuddered a little.

"I appreciate it," she said after recomposing herself to her neutral demeanor.

They drank tea using their lovely china set and then had dinner. Teddy still wasn't eating her usual full amount but it had gotten better and to the point where they didn't have leftovers. However, she no longer snacked and that was causing some stomach aches while she tried and failed to sleep.

"I hate this hair," said Teddy grabbing fistfuls of it and tugging but not enough to rip it out. "It's mine but it isn't. He straightened it using formaldehyde, Ida."

"Well… we can either go to a salon and see if they can reverse it," said Ida, "Or we can shave it."

Shave it?

Teddy had had long hair ever since high school. If she needed to she could scrunch it all down under a cap and wear a wig over it for her performances. If she wasn't going to be leaving the house then it wouldn't matter anyway if she went bald for a while.

"Let's do it," she said.

"I'll go see if I can borrow Tony's hair clippers," said Ida.

"I'll go with you."

Within the hour, Teddy's long tresses were on the floor and her head was completely smooth. The hair would grow back with time. Too bad there wasn't a serum that could make her hair grow back just the way it was.

"I think it looks good," said Ida cleaning up the hair. "Like one of the Dora Milaje."

Teddy huffed through her nose and rubbed her temple. She didn't feel like a Dora Milaje. Her throat tightened and she sniffled. Ida put an arm around her.

"Come on. Let's watch a movie or something."


	17. Chapter 16

Steve trudged to his apartment, absolutely exhausted. He and Natasha had been awake for the past two days trying to put together all the intel they gathered for their previous mission.

Not to mention he had a nasty run in with a crane and his back was still aching. He shifted the bag of Chinese food to his wrist and started unlocking his apartment door. His neighbor, Kate, exited into the hallway bundled up in a thick, red wool coat and massive scarf that swallowed half her face.

"Hey there, neighbor," he said. The smile she returned made him feel a little weak in the knees.

"Hi."

"Where you headed?" he asked.

"Hospital," she replied. "My aunt is on vacation, so I agreed to pick up a shift instead.

He nodded. "Right, it's Christmas tomorrow." Real smooth, real eloquent. Fuck.

 _Ask her out, dummy._ Teddy's voice sounded in his mind.

Here goes nothing. "Um… if, you know… if you want, you could come by tomorrow for Christmas. Maybe have a cup of coffee?"

His heart dropped into his stomach when she made the face he was so familiar with in his youth. Eyes widening slightly, a small grimace that was hidden by turning her head away.

"Sorry… tomorrow is the Christmas party at work and I promised I'd be there."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Don't worry about it. It was just a thought." Before she could say anything else, he rushed into his apartment and shut the door, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Of course she'd say no. Who'd want to be with a scrawny, little guy from Brooklyn?

Wait, no… he wasn't that kid. Not anymore. Maybe it was his personality. No, Teddy said he was one of the nicest guys she'd ever known. Maybe he came on too strongly? What if she took coffee as a euphemism? Then and now anything could be a euphemism for sex.

He flicked on a lamp and saw a pile of Christmas presents sitting on his coffee table. Clint must've broken into his apartment and brought them in. The guy did keep joking he was going to be Santa this year.

With a small smile, he flicked on the TV to ABCs 25 days of Christmas movie marathon and ate his dinner. As much as he wanted to rip into the shiny packages like a child, food had to come first. One time he let his blood sugar get to low and it was a disaster.

He scarfed down Happy Family, Szechuan beef, and chicken fried rice until he was satisfied. By then, he was halfway through some Queen Latifah movie that he was really enjoying when the clock on the wall hit midnight. A small chime rang out through the empty apartment followed by a lonely silence.

Sliding onto the floor, Steve grabbed the first present off of the pile and checked the tag.

 _To: Iced Americano_

 _From: Tony_

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, he ripped into the shiny red paper. Inside was several books on art, including one on mixing paints. The others were on Contemporary Art, a giant textbook on the History of Art, a biography about Van Gogh, and a biography about Frida Kahlo.

The next present was from Ida. She bought him a canvas paper sketchbook and a leather bound sketchbook.

Bruce gave him a fancy set of paintbrushes, palette knives, and sponges.

Natasha and Clint split on a really nice set of oil paints in the colors that he didn't have.

There was definitely a theme here. The next one didn't have a note. He opened it to find a really nice watch, the paper inside claiming it was water proof and nearly indestructible. Before he could ponder who it was from, his eyes drifted to the last gift wrapped in shiny, pink paper.

The note read:

 _To my second favorite Steven._

Inside he found three t-shirts. The first one was black and said _Mr. Universe_ in purple and pink space tech block letters. The second was red with a bright yellow star in the center. The third really cracked him up. It was a black shirt with a shield in the center, like the ones he received royalties from, except this one was pink with a rose in the center.

He pulled out his phone and called Teddy, hoping she was awake.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hey," he said. "Did I wake you?" Of course he didn't. She didn't sleep anymore according to the Group Chat where they mostly discussed how Teddy was doing without her knowing. According to Tony she was trying really hard to not think about what happened by doing stuff to keep her busy.

Something all of them were familiar with.

 _"Nah, I'm just watching TV. What's up?"_

He paused a moment waiting for her buttercup rhyme and frowned when it didn't come. "I opened my Christmas gifts. I just wanted to thank you for what you got me."

 _"No prob. I wish you were here but that's all right, you can just come for my birthday. Tony bought tickets for us to see this new show Off-Broadway called Hamilton. He tried to get Lion King, but it's booked for months. Besides, this musical that Gigi and Inez really like has the same— uh— you know the dude who wrote Hamilton wrote that one. I heard it's already sold out."_

"Sounds fun. I'll make sure to let all the bad guys know I need that evening free," he teased.

 _"Don't be mean."_

"Sorry." He rubbed his neck. "I'll be there. I promise."

 _"You sound a little blue. What happened?"_

He sighed. "I asked out Kate. She rejected me."

 _"Oh…"_ she clicked her tongue. _"That sucks."_

"Maybe I came on too strong."

 _"Don't feel too bad. There are plenty of fish in the sea."_

"Yes, but I wanted to date that fish," he said.

There was a small huff of amusement. _"Hey, all else fails, I got your back. Maybe we should make a pact that when we're 300 we'll marry."_

"That sounds like a plot for a bad romantic comedy."

 _"Ida said your face is the plot for a bad romantic comedy."_

Steve chuckled and shook his head. "I'm really tired now, so I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you for your birthday."

"Okay. Good night."

Steve hung up and rested his head back. He stared at the light emitting from the TV flicker on the ceiling. It wouldn't be so bad to spend the rest of his life with Teddy. He felt that way about Bucky once upon a time. Sounded like a better ending than most living with your best friend. Platonic or not. He wasn't going to let that thought stop him from seeking out dates or anything like that.

No way.

 _-January 20th-_

Steve left obscenely in order to arrive in the morning for Teddy's birthday party. Trying to get through the airport nowadays was absolute madness. She requested that the 15th be spent with her parents and siblings, who came into town. Inez and Georgia were staying until the 21st and joining them for the musical, since it was Georgia's birthday as well. Obviously.

He showed up around six the morning of the 20th and took a cab to the Tower. He waved to the security staff and front desk secretary on his way to the express elevator.

 **"Welcome home, Captain Rogers."** Jarvis said.

"Thanks. Can you take me to Teddy's floor?"

 **"Of course."**

Steve walked into the mudroom and took off his shoes, knowing Teddy and Ida would be upset if he got slush and muck on their floor. He also set down his bag and and hung up his coat on a hook. After checking the mudroom door and finding it unlocked he entered the apartment. Inez and Georgia already up and making breakfast in the kitchen giggling and flirting shamelessly as Inez chopped fruit and Georgia mixed up some sort of pastry dough.

"Hey," he said, entering the kitchen.

The two women turned and smiled at him.

"Hola," Inez waved. "Cómo estás?"

"Bien, y tú?" he replied.

"Very good, gracias," she smiled and turned back to prepping breakfast.

"Teddy's upstairs," Georgia said. "She's sleeping, finally. But she'll be happy to see you."

"Thanks," he paused a moment. "What are you making for breakfast?"

"Fruit pastry puffs," Georgia replied. "Inez is making her famous spicy hot chocolate as well."

"Sounds great." he nodded to them and went upstairs to say hi to Teddy.

He lightly knocked on her door and peeked in. She was buried under a mountain of blankets and her face was buried into her pillow. He noticed that her mass of hair was completely gone with only a few millimeters of fuzz remaining.

Steve walked over and knelt down on the floor. "Teddy." He shook her shoulder gently.

She jerked awake with a snort and wiped a trail of drool from the corner of her mouth. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Not yet."

She peered at him through one eye and smiled. "Hey, you're here."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which he returned.

"I'm sorry that Kate didn't work out," she murmured rubbing his back.

"It's fine," he let go of her and sat back on his heels. "Maybe I'll try the cute accountant in 2C."

"What's her name?"

"Jeff."

She chuckled and patted his cheek. "Better luck to you."

"Thanks," he stood up. "I'll let you sleep some more."

"Can you stay here?" she asked, shifting over to make room.

"Sure thing," he murmured laying down next to her. "I'm staying for breakfast too if that's all right."

She nodded, yawned, and nestled under her comforter. "Sounds great. What are we having?"

"Fruit pastry puffs," he replied.

She hummed, eyes already closed. Steve stared at her for a long moment imagining the techniques needed to draw and then paint the coils of hair she once had. Honestly he thought she looked great with short hair too. With her strong jaw and long neck… yeah, he'd definitely like to paint her again.

The whole day was spent playing board games. Around three, they had pizza and Pepper produced a lemon chiffon cake with yellow sugar flowers for both sisters. Teddy and Georgia held hands and blew the 28 candles out together.

"It's not true birthday cake until you get spit on it," Georgia commented.

Teddy snorted. "Way to make it less appetizing."

Georgia lifted up the cake knife and cut out a piece. "More for me then."

"Oh, no you don't." Teddy took the knife and sliced the piece in half.

"Okay, you two," said Inez kissing Georgia lightly. "Let's open up your presents."

Soon, the time came for them to leave for the theater. They all met in the parking garage to take the Van which was more like a small bus with an aisle and everything between seats. Steve was wearing a navy blue suit with a black shirt and white tie. He thought he looked pretty good.

"Oh, great." Georgia groaned.

He turned to find Teddy and Georgia wearing the same thing as him only in a more feminine cut. Teddy had paired her outfit with big silver earrings and Georgia did gold.

"One of us is gonna have to change," he joked.

"That's my line," said Teddy. She turned to the van and frowned, all humor dying.

"Got you something else," said Tony. He produced a pair of headphones. "Special made. Spin the knob and it'll blast music to drown out anything. It also has a panic button."

Teddy accepted and examined them. They were a sleek material painted in ruby red with black stars outlined with purple. Just like Garnet. She put them over her ears and twisted the knob on the right ear. Loud 90s rock played, rattling her teeth. Just the jolt she would need… just in case.

She switched it off and put them around her neck. "Thanks, Tony." She hugged him tightly and got in the van.

Georgia took the wheel with Inez and Teddy in the front and the others squashed in the back seats.

"How about some tunes?" Georgia suggested, plugging in her phone. "I got one from the guy that wrote the one we're seeing."

"Oh, I love that one," Inez said.

Georgia hit play and sang along while she drove.

 _"Lights up on Washington Heights_

 _Up at the break of day_

 _I wake up and I got a little punk to chase away_

The ride to the Public Theatre was short, considering New York traffic. They dropped the van off at valet parking and walked into the theatre. A few people there ran up to take photos with the Avengers.

Tony passed out their tickets. "Third row center. Best seat in the house."

Georgia giggled excitedly and linked her arm with Inez's. "You're the best." The wives hurried into the House to get to their seats to anxious to be ready as soon as the lights dimmed.

Teddy glanced over at Steve. He gave her his genuine smile, the one where one corner was raised higher than the other and his eyes crinkled. She was surprised to find her knees go a little weak.

"I'm glad you're doing better," he said. "Maybe soon you'll be able to visit me in D.C. We can go make fun of my exhibit."

"You have your own exhibit?" she snorted.

He nodded. "Did you know they were going to crop out Gabe and Morita?"

"No…" she gasped.

"Yeah. I told them the Commandos all had to have enough information on them to write an essay on or I'll retract their right to use my image."

She smiled and lightly punched his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get those seats."

They all got playbills and flipped through them while they sorted themselves out.

"Wait, this is about Alexander Hamilton?" Bruce asked. "The guy on the ten dollar bill?"

"Hey, I took what I could get at the time and this lined up perfectly with the twins' birthday," said Tony defensively.

Georgia flicked through the cast and bounced her legs. "Ohhhh this is gonna be great."

The lights dimmed and a pompous British voice came over the speakers.

"This is a reminder that all recording devices and cell phone usage are prohibited. If you need to answer a call, please step outside to be courteous to those around you and those on the stage. Now, enjoy _my_ show."

Georgia shushed everyone, even those who weren't talking, and held her wife's hand, grinning from ear to ear.

The curtain rose and a spotlight shone on a handsome black man in 18th century attire. A fanfare blared throughout the hall.

 _How does a bastard orphan, son of a whore and a scotsman_

 _dropped in the middle of a forgotten_

 _Spot in the caribbean_

 _By providence, impoverished in squalor_

 _Grow up to be a hero and a scholar._

The show was amazing. The singers were talented, the lighting and choreography was on point, and by the end of it, more than half of the Avengers were in tears.

Teddy and Georgia shot up out of their seats after it and rushed into the Lobby to the gift shop to buy t-shirts and CDs.

Tony followed. "Want me to see if I can get us backstage to thank the actors and give our endorsement?"

Georgia's jaw dropped and she squealed. "Please!"

Needless to say, the cast was ecstatic at the opportunity to meet the Avengers. Georgia and Teddy got their playbills autographed and pictures taken with the leads and a big group shot with the chorus line.

"Best birthday EVER!" Georgia shouted feeding off of everyone's excitement.

After half an hour chatting and social media posting, the team left so the cast could eat and go home.

"This is gonna get so big," said Teddy, posting the photos online.

"Glad we got to see it before it did," Georgia added, popping in disc one of the Hamilton soundtrack into the player.

Teddy chuckled as she saw the cast tweets about their reactions at the Avengers being there.

"I'm going to listen to the soundtrack over and over," Georgia said and gasped. "Ida, Teddy, we are doing the Schuyler sisters for Halloween. We have to."

"Whatever happened to the Muses?" Ida asked. "We already have those costumes."

"From Hercules?" Natasha asked.

"I like that one," Inez commented.

Georgia groaned. "Fine. But the Halloween after, we gotta."

"I think you should go as George Washington," Teddy said teasingly. "He is your namesake."

"Only if _you_ go as Theodore Roosevelt."

"So, what are we doing after this?" Inez asked. "Bed time?"

"Nah, I was thinking more Gal Time. Natasha, Pepper you in?"

"Sure," said Pepper. "I could use a break from the amount of testosterone in my daily life."

"You weren't complaining about that last night," Tony said snarkily.

"Yes, ladies' night is an excellent idea," Pepper said elbowing Tony in the side.

A ladies' night was exactly what they all needed and enjoyed. It was good to just sit around and talk before everything got hectic once again and they were all separated by life.


	18. Chapter 17

**Super short chapter. I apologize. I'm about to start a new job that is full time so the weekly updates for this fic are about to decrease. I promise you I actually have a lot written, it's just the filler chapters I don't have.**

One cold and snowy February morning, Teddy entered the Common Room and heard a knock from the landing pad. She glanced over and saw a large and incredibly handsome man wearing futuristic Viking armor and a long, scarlet cape. His hair was gloriously long and had a few braids and gold woven into it. He knocked again and waved with a good-natured grin.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she went over to the door and waggled her fingers in greeting.

"Jay, intercom."

 **"Certainly."**

"Hi," said Teddy. "You must be Thor."

"Hello," he said tipping his head to the intercom speaker but not taking his eyes off of her. "I was sent a message by Stark to come here once I returned to Midgard."

"Password?" she asked. One could never be too cautious.

"The Bat Man sucks," he replied though he seemed uncertain why the phrase mattered.

Teddy's mouth twitched and she opened the glass door. Thor stepped inside and brushed the snow off his shoulders.

"Welcome to Avengers Tower," she said. "Coffee?"

"Please," he said.

Teddy waved him to follow her. She went to the bar and opened the secret door that led to the hidden kitchen. She put one of the Starbuck's K-Cups into the Keurig and pressed the largest setting sticking the Captain America mug under the spout.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked.

"Well, I have issued a team of warriors to diffuse the battles that grew from the Convergence. Now, I am here to rejoin the Avengers and take care of any problems that might have remained on Midgard.

"Is that what happened four months ago?" she asked.

"Aye, it is."

"Hm. All right. Come with me, Thor."

"And what do I call you?" he asked.

"Teddy but my first name is Theodora."

"You are an Avenger, Theodora?"

"Kind of. I just work for Tony and I'm a stand-by medic. I also do some very important research of my own field of genetic studies," she led him up to her section of the lab. "Are you moving in here?"

"That appears to be the plan," he said. "Be where it is most convenient and it is most convenient with the team. Speaking of, where is everyone?"

"Steve and Natasha are in D.C., Bruce and Tony went to some sort of nerd convention, and Clint is on a secret mission of sorts," she sat down in her chair and opened up a new file, "so, it's just me here."

"I see," he said.

"Alright, Thor Odinson," she said typing into the medic file. "I am going to need some information that I gathered from all the Avengers. I will be getting blood from you in case of an emergency. We will replenish it every three months thanks to this new technology I invented that helps extend the storage date past forty-one days without freezing it. Patent pending. I'm not exactly America's favorite right now but there is no way I'm letting Stark get all the credit for it."

"It is useful to have someone with medical training," said Thor. "In Asgard we all are given basic medical training in the event of an emergency."

Teddy hummed and set up the necessary supplies to do a physical for the alien. It would be interesting to see how he compared to human and mutant physique.

"So… are you often alone?" he asked curiously.

"My best friend is home most nights but she and Pepper are doing business in Korea right now," she replied. "Besides, it's easy to be alone when you don't ever leave."

"Why don't you leave?"

"An excellent question for another time." Teddy signaled that it was the end of that conversation by handing him a form and a pen. "Please fill this out to the best of your abilities and then read through and sign the disclosure agreement and the contract that states that I may research your DNA and apply it for medical purposes but will not use it to create weaponry that can be used against you."

As he did, Teddy spun her chair around a few times enjoying the slight dizziness it brought. "So, Thor. Do you like to spar?"

"Yes, of course."

"Maybe you can become my new sparring buddy," she suggested. "I get really bored and nobody except Steve can really match my strength."

He studied her a moment then nodded. "Certainly."

 **"Dr. Williams I hate to interrupt but there are two visitors here for Thor."**

"Who are they?" she asked. "Show me."

Two faces appeared on her main screen. One was a black man in a sleek suit and the other was a brunette white woman in a similar suit. They both wore sunglasses and looked like they meant business.

"Send them up," said Teddy.

 **"They prefer for Thor to leave with them. Unfortunately I cannot match them to any database anywhere to find out where they are from. It is as if they do not exist."** Jarvis sounded distressed at this.

"Tell them that I refuse to let a team member out of my sight without anybody knowing."

There was a pause and then the two agents were let into the elevator. Teddy stood up and grabbed her gauntlets just in case and went to the Common Room to meet their "guests".

"What can I do for you?" she asked once they exited onto the floor.

"I'm agent Jay, this is agent Kay," said the man. "We're with the MiB. We specialize in illegal aliens. We were part of the forces that cleaned up New York and we are also dealing with illegal aliens from the convergence phenomenon four months ago."

"So… y'all just wanna give Thor a work visa?" Teddy asked.

"Pretty much," said Agent Kay holding out her badge for them to see. "Technically speaking we don't exist. Our job is to keep the Earth in the dark about the existence of alien life." She glared at Thor. "Thanks to your brother we're working overtime to keep our illegal aliens from coming out and causing trouble."

"Oh." Teddy looked at Thor and shrugged. "Okay, it seems legit. Uh… just send him back here when you're done. Should we dress him in something less… conspicuous?"

"If you don't mind," said Agent Jay.

Teddy sighed and waved for them to follow. "Steve left a few things behind and y'all are about the same size. We can order you a wardrobe off the internet."

"That would be greatly appreciated, thank you," said Thor.

After sending him off with the MiB agents, Teddy sprawled out on one of the many couches in the Common Area and checked her phone for new messages. If Thor was going to live here then that scientist Jane Foster was probably going to come along. Didn't she also have an assistant? Or would Teddy basically become her assistant as well? It'd be nice to have another woman around to talk science with but also a pain to have another scientist to look after. They barely slept and constantly had to be reminded to eat.

"Tsh! Whatever," she muttered.

The more distractions the better.


	19. Chapter 18

Not long after Thor moved in, Jane and her crew followed along. And by 'crew', it was basically her intern, Darcy and her intern's intern, Ian. All of them were psyched when they saw how they were going to be living. Teddy could understand the feeling. She still couldn't believe that she lived Rent-Free. Jane looked like she was ready to faint when she saw all of the equipment that she had access to.

"Does this mean I'm your intern, too?" Darcy asked Teddy.

Teddy looked at her with complete seriousness and shook her head.

"Don't you go touching anything in my section. You need a band-aid? We got a first-aid kit in the cabinet marked with red tape. Got it?"

"Got it," Darcy repeated, nodding her head. "So, what are all the best places to go in New York? Maybe we can take one of Mr. Stark's cars for a joy ride."

"Darcy," said Jane warningly.

"What?"

"I don't go anywhere," said Teddy. "Come on. I have to put all y'all in the system."

"We're in the system?" said Ian, excitedly.

"Yeah, so you can give Jay orders and stuff," she replied and pulled up the proper program. "The password is: Batman Sucks."

"We can ask him to do anything?" Darcy asked eyes bright as if she were already plotting all the things she could do.

"Mm… not really," said Teddy, stepping back so they could all place a hand on the table. "You can order equipment, add food to the shopping list, ask him to set alarms, play music, order in take-out, set up movies, or ask him to give you instructions. Anything above that only me, Pepper, and Tony have access."

"Why don't you leave?" Ian asked.

"None of your damn business, that's why," she snapped. "Now, do you want to see all the amenities?"

"A tour would be great," said Jane. "Glad I'm not the only female scientist here."

"Same, girl," Teddy replied. "I didn't study astrophysics but I'm pretty good for bouncing ideas around if you ever get stuck. I'm also good at mechanics. Had to be or I'd just be stuck as babysitter."

"You were pretty good at that," said Tony, entering the lab. "Never been burped as an adult before. How are the newbies doing, Mr. President?"

"They good," she said. "Just layin' down some ground rules."

[filler]

[realization of her crush]

Teddy readied her lab for the Fantastic Four. Well… two of them. Reed Richards was territorial about his lab and adamant that all his research data was correct. Teddy told him that wasn't what she was asking about but decided not to push it. Ben couldn't exactly give DNA. So that just left Susan and Johnny Storm. The bright side was that Susan was bringing a vial of Reed's blood anyway for her to scan.

As she was wiping down her lab table she looked up and saw…

"Steve!" she exclaimed happily and strode over. Almost immediately, she slowed down and frowned. "You're not Steve."

"Well, for you I could be," he said smiling cockily and sending a wink.

"Johnny, behave," said Susan, smacking her brother on the arm.

Teddy pursed her lips and sighed.

"Who's Steve?" Johnny asked. "Boyfriend? Obviously cute if he has my face."

"Not a boyfriend," Teddy replied. She produced two kits and waved them over.

"I brought you paper copies of your research," said Susan, handing her a fat manila envelope. "Why don't you keep anything on file?"

"I watch Sunday morning cartoons," she said. "I know what'll happen and I don't want my research stolen. Especially not by some white man who'll probably claim it as his own and get fame while I'm just a footnote that says I did it first. Especially since I'm the one who's gonna live longer."

She took blood samples from both and wrote down the information. Basically, it confirmed her theory. Gamma Rays activated the Mutant gene only thing was…

"What cocktail were you given before going up to space?" she asked curiously. "Do you got it?"

"We weren't given anything," said Johnny.

Teddy paused and closed her eyes, swallowing back her frustration.

"Well… fuck," she said and dragged out a copy of her thesis. "That's just… fuck."

"It negates part of your theory doesn't it?" said Susan.

"Sure as hell does," she replied. "Okay… that brings up my other theory. Stress. But— I— Wh—" she did a double take and looked at the Storms' DNA strands again. She pulled up a new strand and blinked with surprise. "Huh."

"What?" said Johnny looking over her shoulder. "Are Susan and I not actually related? I knew it wasn't possible that I got all the cool genes and she got none."

Susan rolled her eyes.

"No… this here shows that you two are related to Steve," said Teddy.

"Steve?" said Susan incredulously. "As in… Steve Rogers? Captain America Steve Rogers…"

"That's what this says right here," she said. "Distant cousins but kinda obvious considering Johnny has Steve's face."

Even so, she ran a few tests to keep on file and discussed science with Susan and mechanics with Johnny even going as far as to show him the motorcycle she was fixing up for Steve. It was going to be sturdy and have a lot of cool gadgets including a place for him to hook his shield on the front and terrain adjusting wheels.

"You know what would be really dope?" said Johnny. "Flame throwers."

"Hell yeah!" said Teddy high-fiving him.

 **"Dr. Williams, if I may interrupt."**

"What is it, Jay?" she asked looking up at the ceiling.

 **"I have received a message from a friend of yours. She says her name is Jessica."**

Teddy faltered and sat down in a nearby chair. "What is it?"

 **"Kilgrave is dead. He was hit by a bus."**

What… he was… dead?

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Absolutely one hundred percent?"

 **"Yes."**

"Who's Kilgrave?" asked Susan. "Friend of yours?"

Teddy laughed out loud. Kilgrave was dead! Gone and out of her life! She clapped her hands and whooped.

"All right, Jay!" she said. "Where they burying the bastard? Order me a pair of tap shoes for his grave."

 **"I apologize, miss. Jessica said she just ran as far away as she could."**

"I don't blame her. Thanks for letting me know." She looked at Susan and Johnny both of whom had incredibly confused expressions. "I am a free woman!"

"Well, since you're a free woman, how about a date?" said Johnny with a wink.

"Johnny," Susan groaned.

Teddy paused and genuinely considered it. She hadn't dated in years and thought that she wouldn't leave Stark Tower for decades. She hadn't set foot outside in six months. The internet no longer talked about her, choosing to discuss other things like the curvature of celebrities' butts and talking about world issues without fact checking.

"Alright," she said.

"Wait, seriously?"

Teddy turned her gaze to him and raised an eyebrow.

"What? Were you not serious about it?" she asked.

"I— no. I'm totally serious," he said. "It's just… never worked like that before."

"Hm… if you have to convince a woman to go out with you then you should probably try a different method," she replied.

Susan snickered while Johnny had a stupid look similar to Steve's when somebody attractive flirted with him. It was fricken' adorable.

"When did you want to go?" Johnny asked.

"Give me half an hour to change," she said and put on her headphones. "I got a few calls to make too. Jay, call Ida and patch her through my headphones."

 **"Of course, miss."**

 _"Hey, Teddy,"_ said Ida. _"What's up?"_

"Kilgrave is dead," she cheered. "D-E-A-D Dead! I'm free!"

 _"Oh, Teddy, I'm so happy for you!"_

"Yeah! I'm going to celebrate by going on a date with Johnny Storm, you know, the Human Torch?"

 _"Are you sure about that? I hear he can be sort of handsy."_

"I can handle his punk ass if he oversteps his bounds," said Teddy pulling out a cute pair of jeans and a black tank top with beaded designs on the collar and gold trim down the sides. "I just want to go out. I haven't taken a breath of fresh air in months."

 _"Okay. When I come back tomorrow we're going to go to see a show. There's one I'd like to see called The Play That Goes Wrong."_

"You got it, girl," she replied smiling. "Love you."

 _"Love you, too."_

Teddy dressed up and styled her short hair the best she could then put on her lipstick and some eyeshadow and mascara rather than beating her whole face. As she did that, she called Steve.

 _"Hi, Teddy,"_ he said. _"How is everything? I hear you were meeting with the Fantastic Four today."_

"Yeah, I did. Actually, I have great news, Steve."

 _"What?"_

"Kilgrave is dead," she said. "I don't have to be afraid anymore."

 _"That's fantastic!"_

"Mmhm. I'm actually going out right now to enjoy my freedom but I'll text you."

 _"Okay. I'm sorry if I don't reply right away,"_ he said. _"I'm going out on a mission shortly."_

"Good luck."

 _"Thanks."_

Teddy hung up and went back to the Common Room to meet Johnny. Susan decided to stay there and take advantage of the amenities Avengers Tower had to offer. Since they were right there, they went ahead and walked to Times Square to find a bar or comedy club to go to. There were a lot more smells than she remembered. Did they install a few more light up billboards?

"I don't come to New York often," said Steve- wait, no. Johnny.

"My sister lives in Boston with her wife," said Teddy, trying to let as few people as possible bump into her. "But… that wasn't your question. Um… I- I'm sorry, I can't think with all this noise."

"Yeah, it is kinda loud out here."

There was too much space. What if Kilgrave told Jessica to say he was dead so he could lure her out? What if he was right here in the square waiting for her? He was wasn't he?

For no reason in particular she stepped out onto the crosswalk even though she didn't have the right of way. A car sped up and crashed right into her but she only stumbled as if she had been lightly pushed. Aggravated and overstimulated, Teddy shoved it away paying no mind to the pissed off driver who was shouting obscenities at her. Everything was too loud. Too bright. Her heart felt as if it would beat right out of her chest.

"Teddy! Holy shit, are you okay?"

She slowly faced him. "Steve. I thought you were going on a mission? When did you get back?"

"Fuck, we gotta get you back to the tower. Okay, move it people!"

He led her back through the crowds and back to the Tower. She sat down in the elevator and tugged on her earlobe. A nervous habit she hadn't done since she was in middle school. Steve crouched down in front of her and looked at her with those… no, this wasn't Steve. Where was Steve?

"Maybe we should call your boyfriend," Johnny suggested.

"I don't have a boyfriend," she mumbled.

"Could've fooled me," he said. "Don't think I really stood a chance if you're in love with Captain America."

"What?"

"Come on, I saw that look in your eye when you thought I was him," he said. "It's the same look my sister got when she looked at Richards."

 **"Doctor Williams, I am detecting your heart rate at 200bpm,"** said Jarvis sounding as concerned as an A.I. could possibly sound. **"Is there anything I can do for you?"**

"Yeah," said Johnny. "Call Ste-"

"No!" Teddy shook her head. "Ida, I-I-I need Ida. She can help. No, yes. Ida. Get Ida."

 **"Calling her now. I am sure Mr. Stark will be more than happy to send a suit to pick her up."**

Johnny helped steer Teddy over to her couch grunting a bit under her weight. She wrapped the blanket her nana crocheted for her around her shoulders and curled up on her side. What the hell was she thinking going outside? No, she needed to stay where she was safer.

 **"Doctor Williams, Thor has heard of your distress and is heading up to your floor now."**

Sounded like him. He was just a big puppy wasn't he? He often mentioned during their sparring that she would fit right in on Asgard and that probably made him more than a little homesick. Sure enough, he strode in through the mudroom looking comfortable in his sweatpants and t-shirt. He loved them even more than Steve did.

"Theodora," he said. "I hear you are unwell?"

"I'll be fine."

"She had a panic attack," said Johnny. "I don't know who this Kilgrave guy was but it seems he messed her up pretty bad."

"We do not speak of him here," said Thor sternly. "Stark has made that very clear to us when we moved into the Tower. I do not know what his crimes were."

Teddy put on her headphones and blasted music until Ida could come and talk her down from her panic. As promised, she flew in one of Tony's suits and all the men had to leave. She couldn't sleep at all that night and she honestly felt like she was back to square one. How the hell was she going to get on with her life?

And Steve?

"Ida?"

"Oh, thank God. You're talking again," she said, pausing My Little Pony. "I was going insane."

"Do you think I'm in love with Steve?"

"Really? That's what you want to talk about?" Ida looked at her incredulously. "Listen, honey, you've definitely been crushing on him since January. I thought that you were just focusing on you."

"I… I was. I thought. No." She shook her head. "I've got too much baggage. I couldn't… we're friends."

A friend who was kind, strong, handsome, considerate, respectful, and really fun to be around. A friend who made her feel weak in the knees and who would go to the ends of the earth to protect his best friend who, at this point in time, was her.

Lord, help her.


	20. Chapter 19

_May 2015_

Teddy hadn't left the tower at all. Even though she was technically free she didn't feel like it. Ida went with her when she wanted to try but she never got to the next intersection before needing to turn back home. Being in the car was no better. She couldn't even leave it to go inside to the movies or art gallery or restaurant.

"Teddy," said Tony entering her section of the Lab with Jane and Bruce, "we need to talk."

"Oh, sure," said the giant robotic head on her work table, "talk to her. Nobody bothers to talk to me even though I've been here every ruddy day."

"Oh, that's not true, Marvin," said Teddy patting the round head of her attempt at an artificially intelligent robot. "Y'all got Jarvis to talk to."

"I tried talking to Jarvis," he said morosely.

"And?"

"He hates me."

"This is exactly what we're talking about," said Tony. "You're going crazy in here. You built a manically depressed robot."

"It's not healthy," said Bruce. "You've got to get out of here and-" he looked at the others- "I say this with the utmost respect, you can't keep hanging out with this bunch. I understand not wanting to leave but-"

"I appreciate your concern," said Teddy. "I figure I can wait a couple decades. It won't matter much in the long run."

"Yeah?" said Jane sitting down on one of the stools. "So you just won't go anywhere?"

"What about if the good Captain decides to court you?" Thor asked.

Teddy's eyes widened and she dropped her tablet. Who told them? Ida didn't tell anybody anything.

"It's pretty easy to see," said Jane. "You text him every free moment you get and you thought Johnny was him."

Teddy awkwardly tugged on her earlobe and muttered, "thought I was hiding it pretty damn well."

"Yeah well, superheroes can be pretty obtuse," said Tony, "but when you've cared about all of us so much we can't help but pay attention."

"Must be nice to have friends who care so much," said Marvin.

"You need to get out of here," Tony continued. "I'll arm you with whatever you need to feel safe. Garnet gauntlets or whatever."

They were right. She needed to leave. What if she decided to tell Steve how she felt? They couldn't hold dates in the Tower. She needed to get out of here. Hell, even if he just moved back to Virginia or to the School for a while until she could go places without getting a panic attack.

"Okay," she said. "We'll… I think maybe arming up might help me. I'll use those headphones and some gauntlets… can we paint them like Garnet?"

"Whatever you want, Teddy."

Teddy and Ida sat at their kitchen table, eating an early lunch consisting of sandwiches, chips, and apple slices.

"It's pretty exciting that you get control over the New York office for a month," said Teddy.

Ida smiled. "Yeah, I'm really excited about it. I'm a bit nervous though."

"You good at what you do," Teddy assured her and examined the browning apple slice before tossing it back on her plate.

"Unfortunately, it means that I'm going to be crazy, stupid busy," Ida gave her friend a concerned look. "Are you going to be okay? I don't want you doing more Mythbusters and Greatest Warrior shit with Bruce and Tony."

"We only used the cannon once!"

"Twice."

"Once."

"Twice."

"Okay, three times."

"Wait, what?"

"But, that's not the point," Teddy waved her hand. "The point is: You, my friend, are becoming crazy, stupid successful and you're under thirty. I think you should take on the responsibility and put together a schedule for when you take time to relax. Also, hire an intern for yourself. I hear Darcy is free."

Ida made a noncommittal grunt. Teddy stood up and took care of her dishes.

"I'm gonna do it," Teddy decided. She wiped her hands off and took care of her trash.

"Do what? Use the cannon again?" Ida sassed.

"No, I'm going to go visit Steve," she sighed. "I miss him and he never calls anymore and barely texts."

"What if he's on a mission?"

"I'll find a hotel and send him a text that I'm there." She paused and hugged herself. "I'm still attracted to him. Am I just being creepy and/or obsessive?"

"I don't know," Ida said honestly. "Maybe you should call a therapist."

"No." Teddy gnawed on her lower lip. "I'm attractive. It's not creepy, if you're attractive." She picked her phone up off the table and checked out available flights to D.C.

"Ok, good luck storming the castle," Ida waved.

Teddy laughed and hugged her best friend. "I love you."

"Love you too," Ida returned the hug. "Good luck using a normal person's plane."

Teddy mockingly wiped a tear away. "We're so spoiled. How will we ever manage normal people things again?"

"And listen," Ida put a hand on her shoulder. "If being out by yourself is too much for you, call and I'll be there. I'll use that armor Tony built for me in case of emergencies."

"I'll be fine," Teddy said. "I'll be wearing my Garnet gauntlets."

Teddy was miserable. It took her two hours to get through customs and now the flight was delayed. The asshole at customs specifically pulled her out of line and unpacked all of her things, messing up her perfectly organized process of maximizing space, so she had to sit down to the side and repack _everything._ She might not be as organized as she used to, but luggage was very important to up keep.

She finally settled into a poorly padded chair and pulled out her Kindle, opening a book series she heard about online about witches that used the internet. She got pretty far into the first book by the time her flight was ready to board.

So far, the main character was a real estate agent that didn't know she was a witch, but was found by an online fetching spell. She then became the spell partner to the most powerful witch in the world, a four-year-old boy with hearing aids. The kid's sense of humor made her think of Clint.

After shoving her kindle into her purse, she pulled out her boarding pass and frowned as people pushed and shoved each other in line. Come on, people, chill. The seats are assigned and the plane wasn't going to leave them there if they boarded too slowly. She passed through first class and found her seat in economy near the front. She sighed, plopped down in the blue, ugly patterned seat, and buckled up. Too bad First Class was all sold out when she booked her flight.

Teddy had just gotten into her book once more, when a man in a business suit sat next to her.

"Ever been to D.C.?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Business or pleasure?"

"Um…"

"Do you have any plans for when you get there?" It seemed like he was trying to be charming but was failing. He smelled like 13-year-old boy and looked like a wanna be Goodfella.

God, it was going to be a looong forty-three minutes.

An hour and a half later, Teddy finally made her way over to luggage pick up. She scanned for her lime green hard side suitcase. She waited…

And waited.

And waited.

The last person grabbed their giant black suitcase and walked off.

Great. She headed over to a help desk and, as luck would have it, it was lost. She filled out a form, just in case they found it, and left the airport in a sour mood.

Relieved that she still had her purse, she took a cab into the city and decided to go to the mall to get a couple new outfits. She figured she'll stop by a drug store for toiletries on her way to the hotel.

Luckily, she found what she needed at J.C. Penney and decided to wander around. Maybe get a pretzel.

Half an hour later, she made herself comfortable in a waiting area for tired shoppers and dug into her meal. She ended up buying herself a whole lunch from the Panda Express in the food court and sat on a low wall so she could people watch.

Just as she was wondering if being there was a good idea something caught her eye.

Steve and Natasha were on the escalator dressed in clothes that were meant for people way younger than them. She stood up and was about to call out to them when she saw the redhead turn around and kiss the blond. She stopped in her tracks and her chest felt tight. It was fine. She thought that Natasha and Clint were secretly married but she'd been wrong about things like that before. Just not since high school. Still… they were both… attractive, snarky and would be really sweet together.

And that pissed her off.

Teddy dumped her food, shouldered her purse and purchases, and went to intercept them as they got off the escalator.

They froze when they saw her.

"What are you doing here?" Natasha hissed.

"I wanted to surprise Steve with a visit, but I lost my luggage," she huffed and let out a small _oomph_ when they sandwiched her and pulled her along.

"They probably know about her by now," Natasha told Steve.

"We have to get her out of here," Steve quickly looked over their shoulders. "Take her to the airport."

"They'll stop her at the airport if they have an inkling that she knows where we are," Natasha argued.

"Alright, What's up?" Teddy asked. She knew it was nothing good but she still wanted to know the details.

"We're fugitives and we're being followed," Natasha explained.

"We can't have anybody recognize us," Steve finished.

She closed her eyes and made a small noise of distress. "And _why_ did you become a fugitive?"

"I'll explain, once we get out of here," Steve whispered in her ear causing chills to shoot down her spine. Damn him for having that effect on her.

"For now, we act like we're a group of friends just hanging out," Natasha ordered.

They all plastered smiles on their faces. Teddy felt panic surge through her, images of what could happen if she was captured flashed through her mind.

"Why did you decide to visit me?" Steve asked, still warily watching their surroundings.

"I dunno, it was an impulse thing," she shrugged and gripped their arms tighter.

"You're having a lot of impulses lately," he pointed out. "I mean, come on, cannons?"

"Don't start with me," she growled. "You're the one that's becoming impulsive, not to mention reckless. I know you haven't been using parachutes and using your fists instead of guns or even your shield. You've been like that, ever since you saw Peggy again."

"I am not talking about this now. It's going to be a four-hour drive and we still have to get you back to New York. We can argue all we want once this is over."

"You never talk about your issues anymore," she snapped. "You're so emotionally constipated."

"Emotionally constipated?"

"We're all going to die," Natasha muttered.

They kept this up until they exited Macy's, then Steve and Teddy stopped bickering.

"Please, tell me you have a rental," Natasha looked at Teddy hopefully.

She shook her head. "No. I took a cab."

"We'll improvise," said Steve, as he scanned the parking lot.

They found a car that was far away and in a spot hidden from security cameras. Teddy gripped her shopping bag and looked around for any witnesses. Natasha got the car unlocked and Steve hot-wired it. The trio got in and Steve drove off.

"Where are we going?" Teddy asked resting her arms on Steve and Natasha's seats.

"New Jersey and put your seatbelt on," Steve answered coldly.

Teddy pursed her lips and leaned back into her seat, strapping herself in. Coming here was a really bad idea and seeing him upset with her made her a little nauseated. They sat in silence, until they got out of the city and reached a backroad with barely any cars on it.

"Where did Captain America learn how to hot wire a car?" Natasha asked, breaking the silence.

"Nazi Germany," Steve answered snippily. "Get your feet off the dash."

Natasha stared at him and put her feet down one foot at a time.

"Can I ask you a question?" she started up again. "You don't have to answer it. Although, I feel if you don't it answers-"

"What?" Steve asked tapping his finger against the steering wheel.

"Was that your first kiss since 1945?"

"That bad huh?"

"I didn't say that," she said, trying to fix her faux pas.

"Well, it kind of sounds like that's what you're saying," Steve scoffed.

"No, I didn't," Natasha argued. "I just wondered how much practice you've had."

"You don't need practice."

"Everybody needs practice," she argued.

"That was not my first kiss since 1945," he glanced at her. "I'm ninety-five, I'm not dead."

"Natasha's right," said Teddy.

"You didn't complain." he shot back and immediately regretted it. He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

She sucked in a sharp breath. "We promised we'd never discuss it again!"

Natasha's eyes widened as she stared at them. "When did you two sleep together and how did nobody find out? Especially me?"

Teddy looked away and the tips of Steve's ears turned pink.

"We didn't think Tony's Super Soldier Alcohol™ would be that potent," Teddy muttered.

"We agreed to never discuss it," said Steve, shortly. "It didn't mean anything." Ouch. "I'm sorry for bringing it up now."

Teddy blew air through her nose and stared out the window. "Natasha can keep a secret."

"That's not always a good thing," he muttered.

"Nobody special though?" Natasha asked Steve.

Steve chuckled humorlessly. "Believe it or not. It's kinda hard to find someone with similar life experience," he glanced up at Teddy in the rearview mirror again. Or, she thought he did. He was probably just checking for any suspicious looking vehicles.

"Well, that's all right just make something up," Natasha said dismissively.

"What, like you?" Steve asked glancing at her.

She shrugged. "I dunno. The truth is a matter of circumstances, it's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I."

"That's a tough way to live," said Steve.

"It's a good way not to die, though," Natasha responded, keeping her face a mask.

"You know, it's kind of hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is," said Steve shooting her a look.

"Yeah," Natasha faced him even though he kept his eyes on the road. "Who do you want me to be?"

Steve hesitated. "How about a friend? Not an acquaintance who just sets me up on dates."

Natasha chuckled. "Well, there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers."

Steve gave her a small smile and turned his eyes back to the road. Teddy felt weird. Like she was prying on a conversation that should've been between the two of them. She pulled out her phone and turned it off so it couldn't be traced.

"Is it okay if I read?" she asked.

"Since when do you read?" Steve asked. His eyes widened and he blanched. "I don't mean that in a bad way! It's just that you don't typically read books. You're a movie person."

"Smooth, Rogers," Natasha smirked.

"I know what you meant," said Teddy, as she fiddled with the reading light. "I'm just bored."

"Aren't you hanging out and sparring with Thor now?" he asked.

"Yeah but he goes off on missions and Jane takes him out a lot," she replied. "This is the first time I've left the Tower by myself since… you know…"

Another silence. The only time they spoke was to get some food and use the bathroom. They ate in the car before continuing their drive.

They reached their location at dusk the sickly yellow lights already on, yet no one was there judging by the barbed wire fence, the lock on the gate, and the no trespassing signs.

"This is it?" Steve asked.

"Well, the file came from these coordinates," Natasha gestured to the gps.

"So did he," said Teddy. She got out of the car and moved closer to the base. "This is where he had boot camp and was chosen for the super soldier program."

Natasha and Steve got out and followed her, Natasha pulled into the lead, still following the coordinates on her phone. It was nearly night before they made it to the barracks.

"Change much?" she asked hoping Steve would notice if anything was off.

He glanced around almost able to see an image of himself running, wheezing, wearing a helmet too big for his head. His feet flailing as he ran, so he wouldn't trip on his flat feet. He could even hear the Drill Sergeant screaming at him to keep up and fall in. He wondered what he would have thought then if he could see himself now.

"A little," he replied.

"This is a dead end," Natasha sighed as she scanned her device around the area. "Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off."

Teddy tapped Steve on the arm and pointed to a building.

"What is it?" Natasha asked, noticing her reaction.

"Army regulations forbid storing munitions within 500 yards of the barracks," she replied, remembering his complaints about that when they watched movies.

"This building is in the wrong place," Steve finished heading towards it. He raised his shield towards the lock and missed it. "Shit."

"Nice aim," Natasha said sarcastically.

"Teddy, can you let go of my sleeve for two seconds?" Steve turned towards said woman with an irritated look.

"Sorry," she let go of his jacket, not realizing she had grabbed hold. She backed away wondering who spit in his bean curd.

He turned to the door once again, this time successfully breaking the lock. The three entered the building, Natasha flipped on a set of lights after they descended the stairs. The fluorescent lights flicked on one by one, illuminating an eagle on the wall.

"This is SHIELD," said Natasha almost disbelievingly.

"Maybe where it started," Steve mused, staring at all the abandoned desks.

They entered a store room in search of any sort of computer for the usb. They saw pictures of Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, and Colonel Phillips hanging crookedly on the wall.

"That's Stark's father," Natasha said and looked at Steve hoping gauge his reaction. "Who's the girl?"

"You know damn well who that is," said Teddy, glaring at the redhead. "Don't even go there."

Steve said nothing and looked away in search for the secret door. He knew there had to be one, behind a bookcase like at the SSR base where Erskine performed his experiment. His keen ears picked up the sound of wind straining through a crack. He found it's source when he noticed a cobweb blowing about even though the rest of the room was stale and stuffy.

"If you're already working in a secret office," he said pulling the shelf open with one arm and wedging himself between it and the wall to get it the rest of the way open. "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

"Maybe it was something done behind Peggy's back? She was the Director," Teddy answered even though his question was rhetorical.

Natasha used her device to highlight the finger prints on the key pad to find out the code for the elevator. Once it registered she punched it in and the elevator opened.

"How far down do you think we're going?" Teddy asked gripping both superheroes' sleeves in an attempt to keep calm in a tight space.

"Probably forty feet," Natasha answered. "Don't worry if it's a small space or a cavern we'll send you back up."

"Okay," she nodded trying to keep her breathing under control.

"I still say we should've sent her home," said Steve.

"We can't do that without drawing attention to ourselves," Natasha argued. "Do you know what some scientists would do if they got their hands on a Mutant?"

The doors opened to a pitch-black room. They slowly stepped out of the elevator wary of any traps. When the elevator doors closed, the lights flickered on illuminating an old room full of heavy computer software dating back to before computers were accessible to anyone.

"This can't be the data point," said Natasha, looking put out. "This technology is ancient." She was ready to laugh when she noticed a modern looking usb port sitting on the table attached to wires that were set inside the control panel. She examined the usb before sticking it into the device. More lights flickered on showing how big the place truly was, the machines came to life and started whirring, reeling, and beeping.

Teddy made a face at all of it. "This feels like some sort of horror movie."

 **"Initiate System?"** the computer asked in a garbled voice.

Natasha leaned forward and typed in her answer. "Y-E-S spells Yes."

A whirring sound made her look up and she smirked. "Shall we play a game?" She turned around to explain it to Steve but he interrupted her.

"I know, Teddy showed me."

Said woman stared at the camera still looking disgusted. "This shit better not be stuck on dial up."

The screen flickered with green bars until it became almost like a face. "Rogers, Steven born 1918," it said in a metallic, Germanic accent. "Romanoff, Natalia Alianova. Born 1928." Its camera moved again. "Williams, Theodora Roosevelt. Born 1988."

"What kind of white nonsense is this?" Teddy asked looking freaked out.

"It has to be a recording," said Natasha sounding uncertain like she was trying to reassure herself.

"I am not a recording, Fraeulein," the voice was gaining more personality. "I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945. But I am." The screen to its left showed up a picture of a man who looked like a squished gnome without the beard.

"You know this thing?" Natasha asked glancing at Steve then back to the machine.

"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull," Steve explained walking around to see if anything was behind the console. "He's been dead for years."

"First correction, I am Swiss," said Zola indignantly. "Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972, I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind however, was worth saving on 200,00 feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain."

"Gross," Teddy cringed.

"You have no right to be here you ni-"

"Stop your ass right there or I'll smash everything in here with a baseball bat until all you can remember is your own name!" Teddy snarled.

"How did you get here?" Steve asked trying to move everything along. He gripped his shield so tightly the supports creaked.

"Invited," said Zola simply.

"It's part of Operation Paperclip after World War II," Natasha explained. "S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited German scientists with strategic value."

"And apparently no morals," Teddy added.

"They thought I would help their cause," Zola's voice gained a tone of amusement. "I also helped my own."

"Hydra died with the Red Skull," Steve argued.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place," his green face split into two more.

"Prove it," said Steve and Teddy at the same time.

"Accessing archive," Zola began. Images flashed on the screen as he spoke. "HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize was that if you tried to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly.

"After the war, S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded, and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew a beautiful parasite inside S.H.I.E.L.D. For 70 years, HYDRA has been secretly feeding crises, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed."

"That's impossible. S.H.I.E.L.D. would've stopped you," Natasha sounded like she was questioning everything she ever knew.

"Accidents will happen." A newspaper depicting Howard Stark's death flashed on the screen. "HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's New World Order will arise.

"We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life, a zero sum!"

Steve smashed the screen with his fist.

"As I was saying," Zola's face appeared on another screen.

Teddy punched that one out.

His face appeared on the remaining screen. "Rude."

"What's on this drive?" Steve demanded.

"Project Insight, requires insight," Zola sounded pleased. "So, I wrote an algorithm."

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" Natasha asked hoping the man/machine would be too cocky and tell them.

"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you will be too dead to hear it," said Zola triumphantly.

Everyone whipped around when metal doors covered the elevator. Steve flung his shield at it, hoping to stop them and paled when all his shield did was ricochet. He caught it just when Natasha's phone beeped.

"Steve," she sounded panicked. "We got a bogey. Short range ballistic. Thirty seconds tops."

"Shit, we gotta take cover," said Teddy frantically grabbing onto a grate and pulled it out of the floor.

"Who fired it?" Steve asked Natasha, looking horrified.

"SHIELD," Natasha slowly lowered her phone, grabbed the file, and ran over to where Teddy was lowering herself into the hole the grate covered.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain," Zola jeered. "Admit it. It's better this way."

Steve leapt into the grate pulling both women under his shield."

"We are, both of us, out of time," Zola got in the final word just as the missile hit.


	21. Chapter 20

The building exploded, the blast rocking everyone to their core and rattling their bones so hard it hurt. Lights flashed and wires sparked and caught fire added with the hot air made it get really hot really fast. Teddy screamed as the building caved in on them. She curled up into a ball trying to get between Natasha and Steve. Steve groaned with the effort of keeping his shield above them. Lights flashed and sparked as tons of rock and concrete buried them, pressing in. Once the debris settled it grew eerily quiet.

"I'm not really here," Teddy chanted to herself. "It's just a dream. I never shoulda left."

"Hey," said Steve gently. "We're going to get out of here. Deep breaths."

"I can't!" she shoved him out of the way and clawed at the concrete causing her nails to break away and her hands to bleed. The smaller particles that managed to lodge into her cuts ended up getting healed over which only served to cause even more damage the more she came in contact with broken computer brain, steel foundation, and concrete.

"Teddy… Theodora!" Steve shouted. Seeing that he couldn't snap her out of it, he picked up Natasha and followed her as she dug their way out.

Teddy roared and shoved her whole body into a slab of concrete. It gave way, filling the cavern with smoke. Steve coughed and scanned the area. He glanced down at the unconscious redhead in his arms. "She doesn't heal as fast as us," he said guiltily before breaking into another coughing fit.

"I shoved my way between you," Teddy murmured as she scanned the crater for the easiest way out, "It's my fault."

A loud humming echoed around the area, Steve glanced over his shoulder saw the lights of the search jets coming and picked up the pace. He grabbed Teddy's hand, tightened his grip on Natasha, and steered them to the quickest way out of there before they could be seen. It was a dangerous trek as the white orbs hungrily searched for any sign of life. Shouts could be heard from the S.T.R.I.K.E. teams as orders were barked.

Teddy seriously hoped they wouldn't have any big dogs going after them.

The two Mutants took off running once they were out of range. The car they had "borrowed" was completely demolished so they had to go on foot. Fear and adrenaline were the only things keeping them going and giving them the ability to recover any time they tripped over tree roots or stumbled into holes.

Lungs burning and leg muscles twitching like dozens of fingers were pinching them, Steve and Teddy finally managed to find another car. This one was old and beat up. The original color might've been blue or white but the amount of dirt and rust made it hard to tell. The only sign that they had that it would even start for them were the college kids skinny dipping nearby.

"They'll get home, all right," said Teddy, clearing everything out of the car and dumping it all on the ground nearby. "Besides, they shouldn't keep their keys inside the ignition."

"Exactly," said Steve.

Teddy turned on the car and locked the doors wanting the distraction by being in charge of the wheel. Shouts of surprise and anger reached their ears but they were long gone down the road before they could be stopped.

"They're going to be looking for us everywhere," said Teddy, shakily. "Where we gonna go? Who's gonna help us?"

"We'll be okay," Steve replied reaching out and resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you know somebody then?" Natasha asked finally coming to. She coughed drily and rubbed her chest.

"Yeah," said Steve. "I do."

It was well into morning by the time they reached the house. Natasha and Teddy looked around recognizing it as former military housing judging by the Sears-catalogue-cookie-cutter style with uniform colors and the intense number of American Flags hanging in windows or on front yard flag poles. Steve checked the house number and knocked on the door.

The blinds opened and a tall, handsome black man with a short haircut and beard peered out at them. His eyes widened in surprise and he slid the door open. He seemed unsure of what to say. The three of them looked like absolute shit with their bruises, scrapes, and soot covered bodies. Plus, they had to ditch the car two miles back in a ditch to keep any cops or Hydra agents off their six.

"Hey, man," he said at last.

"I'm sorry about this, Sam," Steve apologized. "We need a place to lay low."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us," Natasha added.

Sam studied them for another long moment.

"Not everyone," he said letting them in and scanning the area before closing the door. He led them to a guest room and passed out towels so they could clean up

"My sister keeps a pick here," said Sam looking at Teddy's hair. "You can get those tangles out."

"Thanks for this," said Steve.

"No problem. I'll just be in the other room."

Steve removed his jacket and t-shirt so he was just in his tank top. Natasha did the same. Teddy wetted a washcloth and started scrubbing at the dirt on her face and arms. They took turns using the bathroom for whatever they needed and did not speak for a long time.

Steve, drying off his hands, stepped out of the bathroom at last and leaned against the door jamb. "You okay?"

Teddy nodded, while Natasha ignored him continuing to rub her hair clean with a damp washcloth.

He walked over and sat down across from Natasha. "What's going on?"

She stared at him a moment before finally speaking. "When I first joined SHIELD, I thought I was going straight. But I guess I just traded the KGB for HYDRA." She sighed. "I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but I guess I can't tell the difference anymore."

"There's a chance you might be in the wrong business," said Steve light heartedly.

"I owe you," said Natasha disbelievingly.

"It's okay."

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life. Would you trust me to do it?" She left no room for anything other than a 'yes' or a 'no'.

"I would now," he said with no hesitation. "And I'm always honest."

"Well you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out he died for nothing," said Natasha smiling humorlessly.

"Well," Steve leaned back looking relaxed despite everything. "Guess I just like to know who I'm fighting."

"Or you're just in shock," Teddy muttered.

"I made breakfast," Sam cut in looking a bit awkward. "If you guys… eat that sort of thing."

Teddy lingered a moment and put a hand on Steve's arm as he walked past. "Can we talk?"

He hesitated and shook his head. "Not here. We can settle any argument after the dust settles."

She watched him leave, heart aching and sick rolling around in her stomach. Rather than argue, she slowly stood up and followed. The kitchen was small but nice with a generic Ikea table and four chairs that came at a discount with the set. Teddy knew this because she looked at the same set before realizing she didn't have enough room for it. A delicious smell of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, hash browns, and perfectly toasted toast with jam filled the air. Sam set out the bowls and plates of food.

Only once she began to eat did Teddy realize how painfully tight her stomach was from lack of food. Steve had a similarly pained expression. Both of them had to eat enough to expand their stomachs again and get nutrients flowing back in their systems. While their healing ability could keep them alive even without food and water past the standard time, it wasn't exactly recommended and could leave them unable to heal as quickly. Evidence being by Teddy's shaking fingers as she struggled to hold onto her cutlery.

"You're all over the news," said Sam tidying up the kitchen after the food was polished off. "Captain America: Fugitive. The question is: what the fuck did you do man?"

"I think the more important question is," Natasha began, leaning back into her chair, "who at S.H.I.E.L.D. could launch a domestic missile strike?"

Sam interestedly glanced over from the sink where he was washing dishes.

"Pierce," said Steve confidently.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Natasha reminded him.

"But he's not working alone," Steve added as he thought about the events from the past few days. "Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

Natasha's jaw dropped in realization. "So was Jasper Sitwell."

The connections clicked in Steve's brain and he took a deep breath. "So, the real question is: How do the two most wanted people in Washington, a former pilot, and a Mutant kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer in broad daylight?"

"I don't know, ask the rabbi." Teddy deadpanned.

"The answer is—" Sam picked up a file he was going to show them off the counter and dropped it on the table to punctuate his response- "you don't."

"What's that?" Steve asked leaning forward.

"Call it a resumé," Sam replied crossing his arms.

Steve and Natasha stood up and perused the files. Teddy reached over and grabbed one from the pile.

"Is this Bakhmala?" Natasha asked and looked at Sam. "The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?" She looked back at the paper. "You didn't say it was a Pararescue."

Steve looked at the photo of Sam in military gear standing next to another man wearing the same type of gear. Both were wearing red tinted goggles. "Is this Riley?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs," Natasha looked at Sam holding up the paper in her hand. "What did you use? A stealth chute?"

"No," Sam replied.

"He used these," said Teddy excitedly. She passed the paper she was studying over to Steve and Natasha.

The pair looked at it. Steve raised his eyebrows at Sam. "I thought You said you were a pilot."

"I never said pilot," Sam chuckled.

Steve looked at the paper again. "I can't ask you to do this, Sam," he shook his head. "You got out for a good reason."

"Dude," Sam said with a grin. "Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

Steve looked thoughtful for a moment and grinned as well. "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?"

"The last one is at Fort Meade," Sam answered hoping that the difficulty at getting it wouldn't change their minds. "Behind three guarded gates and a 12-inch Steel wall."

Teddy giggled.

"Shouldn't be a problem," said Steve looking at Natasha who shrugged.

"I'm going too," Teddy said.

"I'm not putting you in danger," Steve argued.

"I'm not helpless, Steve," she retorted. "I've had training."

"Not S.H.I.E.L.D. training," Natasha pointed out.

"Neither has Sam and you're bringing him," Teddy continued. "Listen, you need help and there's no way we can call the Avengers. I have medical training and emergency medical training. I trained with the fucking X-Men. Let me help."

"Okay." Steve conceded. "You drive."

She saluted. "Aye, aye, Captain."

"Let's do this." said Sam, rubbing his hands together.

The drive to Ford Meade was quick in Sam's grey Chevrolet. They stopped once to get some new clothes since their old ones were kinda, y'know, grimy and smelly. Teddy promised to reimburse Sam for paying for everything but he seemed more excited than anything to be part of Captain America's team. Teddy completely understood.

When they showed up, getting in was crazy, stupid easy.

Not because they could kick butt.

The head of security didn't believe that Captain America could seriously be considered a fugitive and allowed them to waltz right into the Fort. Natasha, Sam, and Teddy verged off to get to the room where they were keeping Sam's pack. Even with their limited resources, it was laughably easy to get past all the security.

"Why do they always bring Magneto's helmet back here?" Teddy asked, eyeing it as they took the wings out of the "protected" glass case.

"Whoa, that's seriously Magneto's helmet?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, he wore it because the Professor can't read his mind when it's on him," she said and punched the glass, shattering it. She picked up the helmet and examined it before placing it on her head. "He chilled out a lot and now he's kinda like a grandpa for everyone."

Sam huffed and slid on the pack as if he were just trying on a jacket at Macy's. "He always seemed like one of those Bond villains with the white cat and evil laugh."

"I dunno," said Teddy. "I probably would've joined him when I was younger and bitter towards the world. He was placed in a concentration camp and experimented on like a lab rat until Steve liberated the camp with the Howling Commandos. Then, when Mutants are revealed to the world, he's faced with the same hate and spite shown to Jews. We were experimented on and Arsenals were created to wipe us off the face of the Earth. Rather than simple evolution we were, and still are, treated like shit."

"I see your point," he replied.

"You going to wear the helmet?" Natasha asked.

"Nah." Teddy shook her head and stuffed it in her backpack. "I think Magneto will be happy to have it back though. Come on, let's bail."

Teddy sat in the driver's side of the car, slurping down a slushie from happy hour, and keeping an eye out for any suspicious characters. She wore a big pair of sunglasses and kept low, hoping that no cops were going to question why she was just sitting in her car. Being the get-away driver was really boring to be honest.

When she saw Sam and Jasper approach, she unlocked the car and raised an eyebrow. "This is him?"

"Yep." Sam got in the back to make sure Sitwell didn't make a break for it.

Teddy started the car and drove to the building where Steve and Natasha were waiting on the corner looking inconspicuous as they pretended to be tourists reading maps. Steve dragged Sitwell inside while Sam dug into the trunk for his wings.

He made his way to the drivers' side nearly vibrating from excitement. "Once we get him to squeal, we'll head to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. You know where it is."

She nodded. "By the way, your codename's Falcon."

He nodded and grinned. "Falcon. I can work with that. By the way, you single?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, snorting. "Position now, flirt later."

It didn't take long for them to get Sitwell to talk. They came out to the car, Steve got in the Passenger's side and Sam, Sitwell, and Natasha got in the back.

Teddy felt a little sick when Natasha brought her up to speed on what was going on. This reminded her of when Logan told her about those Mutant killing machines Bolivar Trask built in the seventies. The Arsenals. Except this was going to target everyone, everywhere.

"Hydra doesn't like leaks," Sitwell said for the 50th time.

"Why don't you try sticking a cock in it?" Sam snapped.

Steve snorted. "That's one way to do it."

"Insight's launching in 16 hours," Natasha interrupted. "We're cutting it a little bit close here."

"I know," Steve said. "We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans."

"What? Are you crazy?" Sitwell snapped. "That is a terrible, terrible idea."

All too quickly, someone landed on the car and pulled Sitwell out the window, flinging him into an oncoming 18-wheeler.

"Holy shit!" Teddy screamed flooring the gas pedal.

Natasha quickly clambered into the front, moving both of them out of the way of firing bullets.

Steve yanked on the parking brake causing the stranger to fly off the car. They barely had time to register his metal arm scraping across the pavement, before they got rear ended by an armored truck. Natasha's gun fell to the floor when they were jerked forward.

"Jesus, take the wheel!" Teddy screeched angling the car to hit their assaulter. All that did was make him latch onto the roof once more. She then slammed her foot on the gas trying to get them away from the armored truck. The metal hand crashed through the roof and ripped the steering wheel out of her hands. "Not like that, Jesus," she groaned. Thinking quickly, she tapped the cuffs on her wrists and they formed into her gauntlets.

Natasha, finally getting a hold on her gun, shot at the assassin. He leapt off onto the armored truck. Their car veered off and hit the barrier. Steve braced his shield against the door.

Heart pounding wildly in her chest, Teddy launched herself through the broken window and slowed her descent so she could see if the others made it out alright. If her headphones hadn't been damaged when the bomb hit then she totally would've called Tony here for backup. Assuming he would even be allowed into the airspace with everything going on. There were about a dozen-and-a-half baddies piling out of cars with heavy equipment. The man with the metal arm (which definitely was not armor judging by how it moved) seemed to be mainly focused on Steve.

Steve, Natasha, and Sam fell out of the car when the door ripped off its hinges, skidding over forty feet down the road before Sam rolled off keeping his momentum.

Teddy landed beside him to make sure he was okay and looked back to see Steve get thrown back over the ledge and into a bus by a small rocket launched by the man in the mask. Men packing serious heat filed out of the truck and started shooting at the three of them.

Teddy and Sam ducked behind one abandoned car, while Natasha took cover behind the other.

"We need to get your pack," said Teddy, looking underneath the undercarriage to see Sam's totaled car.

"Yeah, no shit," he replied.

Natasha led the shooters away and ran across the opposite side of the road, dodging cars. An explosion from another rocket was her smoke screen leading them to believe she was taken out.

Hydra only seemed to want Natasha and Steve, giving Sam and Teddy an element of surprise. Sam took out one of the remaining Hydra soldiers on the bridge with his pocket knife and grabbed hold of the gun while Teddy blasted them with her repulsers. A few bullets landed but not anywhere she wouldn't heal quickly. As an extra measure, she put on Magneto's helmet to protect her from getting shot in the back of the head. That was an injury she did not want to find out whether or not she would survive.

Sam and Teddy worked like a well-oiled machine taking out the undercover Hydra agents attacking Steve. A small pit opened in Teddy's stomach as she remembered crushing all those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' skulls. Were they undercover Hydra? Or one of the good guys. What if these people were just coerced into something under the guise of goodness like Natasha? If they were Hydra, would they have taken her for experimentation?

Steve looked up at them.

"Go, we've got this!" Sam shouted, firing off a few more rounds.

The fight moved on down the street. Teddy ripped off the trunk of Sam's car and tossed him his wings. She ran towards the heat of the battle to find Steve engaged in a fight with the man in the mask. She was about to rush in and help, but found Natasha curled up against a car.

"I got you," She dropped one of the gloves and pressed her hand to Natasha's bullet wound. "You're gonna be okay."

"Take me over there," she wheezed. "To the Winter Soldier's launcher."

They moved around, Teddy keeping her eyes on the fight. Steve ripped the mask off the Soldier as he twisted over him. His metal arm screeched against the ground and he stood up to face his opponent finally revealing his face.

Steve panted heavily and gaped at the Winter Soldier in bewilderment. "Bucky?"

The man narrowed his eyes and marched towards Steve. "Who the hell is Bucky?"

Sam flew in and kicked Bucky away before he could use his weapon. Teddy held Natasha up as she fired a rocket just past Steve's shoulder into an empty car.

The smoke cleared and the Winter Soldier was gone.

Black trucks zoomed in and surrounded their small team. Teddy reached up to hit her panic button, only to remember her headphones got lost somewhere along the way. Men pressed their guns against her back and herded her into the circle with Sam. Perhaps she could fight her way out but… no. No, she couldn't let them kill her friends.

"Drop the shield, Cap!" A man shouted, she recognized him as Rumlow, part of Steve's STRIKE team. She immediately pegged him as a douche-nozzle from his profile picture and facebook account. Guess she shouldn't be surprised that 'Nazi' was added to the list. "Get on your knees!"

A stunned Steve was dead legged and fell to his knees. The only thing saving him from a public execution was the news helicopter hovering above them and the people nearby who were filmin the whole thing.

"Not here," Rumlow said, kneeling down and cuffing up his former teammate.

"What about this one?" One of the men said, pointing to Teddy.

Rumlow sneered. "She killed ten S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with her bare hands. I think we'll find some use for her."

The four of them were cuffed and shoved into the back of a van with two armored Hydra agents wielding glorified bug zappers. Teddy was sweating from the sheer effort of not panicking. Instead, she tried to think about how it was possible that a man who fell into a gorge seventy years ago was still alive and fighting for Hydra.

"It was him." Steve murmured, glaring at the ground. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me."

"How is that possible?" Sam asked. "It was, like, seventy years ago."

"Zola." Steve replied. "Bucky's whole Unit was captured in '43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and…"

"None of that is your fault, Steve," Natasha said. She was very pale and her eyes were out of focus from blood loss but it didn't stop her from being supportive.

"Even when I had nothing. I had Bucky," he said looking away.

"You couldn't've known what would happen." Teddy said.

Sam looked at the blood pouring out of Natasha's shoulders and turned to their guards. "She needs help."

"I could help her," said Teddy, "but there's no way they're going to uncuff me and if I break these then I'll get a shitload of volts to the brain."

"If we don't put pressure on that wound, then she's gonna bleed out here in the truck."

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped.

The guard closest to him brandished their electrified baton making Sam flinch back. To their surprise, the guard jammed it into the side of the guard next to them and kicked them in the head knocking them out.

They pulled off their helmet with a groan. "Ugh that thing was squeezing my brain." Agent Hill looked at Sam, then looked at Steve. "Who's he?"

"It doesn't matter right now."

Hill unlocked Teddy's cuffs. The dark woman pulled off her jacket, turned it inside out and pressed it into Natasha's shoulder.

"I don't suppose you have gauze?" she looked to the white brunette who shook her head. "Tampon? Pad? Anything absorbent."

Confused, she pulled a wrapped-up tampon out of her pocket and passed it to the nurse.

Sam shuddered and backed away. "The hell you need that for?"

Teddy unwrapped it and said to Natasha. "I'm doing this because I love you." She jammed the tampon into the bullet wound.

Natasha groaned in pain.

"Once we get that bullet out, you'll heal right up," Teddy said.

"Why?" Sam asked looking thoroughly disgusted and queasy.

Teddy rolled her eyes. Men were such babies. "Tampons were first invented during the Civil War to keep bullet wounds sealed. The nurses realized they had other uses too."

"Great history lesson. Okay we gotta start moving now. We're almost at our rendezvous point," Maria pulled out a laser and carved a hole in the bottom of the van before uncuffing everyone else. "One at a time."

One by one, they dropped out of the bottom of the van, rolling until they came to a stop. Maria led them to another van and took them to some secret base in the middle of the woods.

"GSW," she called out. "She's lost a lot of blood, about of pint."

"Maybe two," Teddy added. "We're the same blood type. Take the pints from me if you can."

"Let me take her," a graying man in a suit said, jogging to keep up.

"She'll want to see him first," Maria pulled back a rubber curtain to reveal Nick Fury alive in his hospital bed.

"About damn time," he said.


	22. Chapter 21

**I can't believe I accidentally skipped this chapter. I'm an idiot.**

They needed to take down all three carriers and destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely so they could shut down HYDRA for good. It was risky but if they didn't try a lot of people were going to die.

Teddy declined going, claiming she wasn't that useful in the last fight and didn't want to screw up this big one. She thought about finding Steve before he left and telling him how she felt but decided against it.

He was going on a life or death mission. He didn't need that kind of drama.

This wasn't a crappy heteromantic movie.

A day had barely passed before Teddy got the call. Steve was found half dead by the lake in front of the Triskelion. She took one of the cars and drove to the hospital herself. One of the agents on guard, Sharon, let her back to help Steve. Nobody was allowed on until they were cleared and with the mess there was, it was going to be pretty damn hard to clear anybody.

Teddy cursed loudly when she entered and found him lying on a table still in his suit. She was a nurse not a surgeon. Taking a deep breath, she set to work using the equipment she recognized. She started off by cutting him out of his uniform, then draining his lungs of excess fluid.

He had bullets lodged in his thigh, shoulder, and stomach and a knife wound in his shoulder. The side of his mouth was sliced, and he had a split lip. The bones in his right cheek were broken, not to mention he fell from a long way into a filthy lake full of debris. It was hard to do everything by herself, but she managed with a lot of muttering and anxiety.

Once he was stitched up and bathed to prevent the spread of infection, (plus a few other things) he was dressed in a blue hospital gown and taken to a room with two empty beds.

Teddy hooked him up to his heart monitor and IV. She finally paused to really look at him. Her heart broke when she saw how beaten up he was. No doubt Bucky did this to him. It hurt to see this. Her throat tightened with tears and she quickly swallowed them back. It was just… she knew he didn't fight back Bucky. Just like he didn't fight her back.

"How is he?" Natasha asked.

Teddy jumped, having not heard the spy walk in. "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine, but I asked how _he_ was."

"Comatose, but alive," she sighed and crossed her arms. "Any sign of Bucky?"

Natasha shook her head.

"Probably for the best," Teddy plunked down into the bedside chair.

"Steve is going to want to go after him," Natasha warned.

"I'll sit on him if I have to."

Natasha chuckled and shook her head. "Sam is going to be here tomorrow while I go speak to a board about what happened."

"Well, good luck to them," Teddy replied still staring at Steve. It scared her to see him like this and made her realize that just because he was long lived like her didn't mean he was indestructible.

"Do you want to know why I keep pushing Steve to go on dates?" Natasha asked.

"Because, you like making him uncomfortable?" Teddy guessed.

"No," she scoffed, "because I'm pretty sure he has the hots for the nurse that helped him into the 21st century."

Teddy rolled her eyes. "Or, maybe, seeing Peggy again made him realize he's not over her and doesn't feel comfortable dating anybody. Male or female."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "Those are cute scrubs by the way."

Teddy looked down at the paisley floral print scrubs she picked up along the way to the hospital. "It was what they had in my size."

"Alright, I'm going to get some sleep."

"Aight. Sleep well."

Natasha left, and Teddy looked at the man she'd been crushing on since January. She liked how he normally looked with his strong cheekbones, pink lips, and gorgeous smile. Her fingers found themselves creeping over to his hair and began gently massaging his scalp.

"You really scared me, you know," she murmured to him even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "The current long-lived company I have is my dad, Wolverine, and Mystique. Not exactly the kind of company you want to spend all your time with." She sighed and brushed his hair back. "I really like you, Steve. Given time, I think I'd love you. I won't know since you obviously don't feel about me that way. I don't want to be that person that has to bide my time until you see me as a last option."

She sniffed and swiped a hand across her cheek, the past days' events catching up to her. "I'm glad you're my friend and I don't want to lose you."

She looked at him a moment longer and turned on the TV. Just about everything was about what happened at the Triskelion except for Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and ABC Family. She went with ABC Family because it had a Harry Potter marathon going. Steve loved those movies.

Late into the night, a dark figure entered the room, clad in loose fitting clothes and a red logo-less cap. Teddy leapt out of her chair into a fighting stance.

"Who the fuck are you?" she demanded. "Nobody is supposed to be in here but me."

The figure grunted and stepped into the light. He was wearing grungy clothes and looked about as beat up as the man in the hospital bed.

"Bucky…" she breathed.

He furrowed his brow and tilted his head looking confused.

"James Buchanan Barnes," she clarified, "but you went by Bucky," She stood firmly with her arms akimbo between him and Steve. "What do you need help with?"

He looked down at his right arm which was bent at an awkward angle.

"Oh… I see." She took a deep breath. "I'd have to leave to get supplies to set that arm. How do I know I can trust you?"

He looked down forlornly and shook his head at a loss.

Her heart reached out to him in pity. "Okay. I'll help you, but only because you were pretty much Steve's brother."

Taking a deep breath, she hurried down the hall to the supply closet hoping that she was doing the right thing. If Steve was killed she'd never forgive herself. She flung open the door to find two people making out and groping at each other. They jumped back and stared at her guiltily. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Nasty," she muttered and reached past them for the supplies making sure to grab some anesthetic. She found a board and wrote down what supplies was used and for what, then shut the door behind her so that Grey's Anatomy could continue.

As an after-thought, she also picked up some of the crackers, pudding cups, and juice from the floor refrigerator.

She came back to find Bucky sitting on the other hospital bed and Steve still breathing. Thank the Lord.

"Alright, Mr. Barnes," she said, setting down the supplies on a table. "I am going to remove your jacket and shirt okay?"

He nodded and let her, not making any sound even though his face was twisted up in agony. She found it weird that he wasn't speaking now.

She showed him the needle. "This is just a local anesthetic, it'll numb your arm while I reset the bone."

He nodded, so she proceeded. She checked his arm to make sure there wasn't any bone sticking out, but it appeared to be a clean break. She wouldn't know unless he was given an X-Ray, but she didn't work here and didn't want to push her luck or put Bucky in danger.

She set the break and wrapped it up in a cast. "I don't know how fast you heal, but when it stops hurting, take the cast off. How about a month? Is that okay?"

He stared straight through her almost like he couldn't hear or see her. She looked into his eyes wondering if there was any equipment that might've been controlling him, but found none.

"Listen," she continued. "The best place to start is the Smithsonian. They have an entire exhibit on Captain America and there's a panel about you."

She looked over at her backpack and hesitated. He needed it a lot more than her. She went over and picked it up removing her phone and Magneto's helmet.

"In here is a notebook, a pen, a kindle with a few dozen books, you can download more, plus the charger, some snacks, water, and some money." She took her cards and I.D. out of her wallet, leaving the cash. "Take it."

He sat up and tentatively took the backpack. His eyes softened, and he slid it over his uninjured shoulder.

"When you're ready, come by Avengers Tower. I'll take care of you. Okay? For now…" she opened up the pudding cup. "Eat."

He did as she asked and left once he was done without a word. She really hoped he'd find himself soon. He didn't seem dangerous. Just lost. Scared. Confused.

Three days passed until Steve showed some improvement. Teddy walked in from her seven-minute breakfast break and took care of the super soldier, which involved changing his bed pan, the IV bags, his bandages, and washing up his face.

"So… are you two a thing?" Sam asked, setting up a playlist for Steve.

"No," she responded bluntly.

"Oh… it's just…" Sam shifted in his seat and cleared his throat, looking away when Teddy was changing the hospital gown. "I dunno. You care about him, a lot. I can tell. And he cares about you. You also seem pretty comfortable with…" He gestured vaguely at all of Steve.

"He's a patient, Sam," said Teddy lacing up the gown then covering him with some clean, warm blankets. "How I feel doesn't matter and I'd rather face some embarrassing situations than have him be put in danger by an undercover Hydra agent."

She frowned at the heart monitor and opened Steve's uninjured eye. "He's going to wake up soon. I'm gonna get him some ice chips, I'll be right back."

Turned out, she was right. As soon as she got back, Steve was looking around blearily. He saw Sam and mumbled "On your left."

Sam smiled and looked back down at his book.

"Aww, that's my line," she cooed and went to Steve's side.

"Your line?" Sam asked looking confused.

"We would go on runs together. We'd race and I started jokingly saying "On your left!" and then he'd go "On your right!" He must've seen you as a potential friend." Or boyfriend, her mind supplied.

"And here I thought he was just being an asshole," Sam smirked.

"He's that too."

Sam burst out laughing. Steve blinked like he was trying to figure out where he was.

"How long?" he rasped.

"Just a few days," Teddy said as she brushed his hair back. "Got you all patched up. You thirsty?"

He nodded. Teddy spooned him some ice chips, being mindful of his mouth stitches.

"Is Bucky…?" he paused trying to find words.

"He's out of danger," she said. It wasn't a lie, but she wasn't sure either. Probably better not to rile up a super soldier on drugs.

He looked up at her and reached his free arm out though it mostly just flopped around, unable to control his muscles. She chuckled and took his hand. "I'm here."

Sam stood up and turned down the music. "I'm gonna go tell the others he's awake."

"When did they come in?" she asked.

"This morning," he replied.

No more than ten minutes later, the team rushed in, their arms laden with get-well-soon gifts for Steve as well as drawings from the children they were visiting in the meantime.

"I am pleased to see our good Captain has not seen Valhalla yet," Thor rumbled.

"He came pretty close to it," said Teddy. "Long lived does not mean indestructible."

Tony smirked to hide how scared he was at losing a teammate. "Hey, Cap, you know you don't have to almost die to feel the touch of a woman."

Steve's head lolled to the side and he grinned crookedly. "I didn't have to almost die to have a woman touch me."

Oh, God. Teddy pretended to check Steve's chart to hide her embarrassed expression.

Tony gaped. "And who was the woman that deflowered America's Golden Boy and why didn't we know about it?"

"Because we promised not to talk about it."

"Really? Somebody slept with Captain America and she isn't shouting it from the rooftops?" Clint asked incredulously. "Was it that bad?"

Steve shook his head. "Nah, from what I remember it was fucking fantastic. But— but I think— yeah. Yeah it was good."

"Please, stop talking." Teddy whispered.

"Had to be," he giggled.

Teddy gripped her clipboard so hard it cracked under her fingers. Everyone stared at her pityingly thinking she was upset because of her crush.

"I need some coffee," she muttered agitatedly. "Maybe a latte. Does anyone want a latte? How 'bout a croissant?"

"Who is this girl?" Tony asked. "Why didn't you bring her over for dinner? Meet the parents."

"Oh, I couldn't do that."

Fuck.

"Why not?"

"Because Teddy and I agreed it was an accident and never to speak of it."

Teddy groaned and slammed her clipboard down. "Call me if he stops breathing."

"I'm sorry," Steve called out. "It just slipped out. Don't leave."

"Yeah, right." She shut the door behind herself and pressed her palms to her eyes. Seriously, what was his problem?

In the past six months, he'd grown more and more distant. Just because he was all pissy didn't mean he had to drag her down with him. She was still going to be his private nurse, but she wasn't going to stay with him 24/7 if he was going to be spilling all of her secrets to everyone.

What did she even do to him?

She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a juice box and apple sauce from the floor refrigerator before going back to the room. She stopped and waited just outside the door when she heard Tony chewing Steve out.

"Of all the women you had to sleep with, it was my assistant?" He growled. "You know what she's been through and _you_ couldn't keep it in your pants?"

"It happened before then," Steve said, his voice thick like it was taking all of his effort to stay awake.

"You had no right—"

"She's a consenting adult and we were both the same level of drunk. I didn't take advantage of her and she didn't take advantage of me."

"Even so, you betrayed her trust and for what? To prove us wrong? You know we're just giving you a hard time, right? You have nothing to prove."

Teddy walked in with her head held high and her jaw set. "You can save your pissing contest for when all parties are able to actually stand up."

She reached over Steve and boosted up his medicine; a special tetratoxin designed for the Hulk. "I'm sick of your shitty attitude. Sleep." She whirled around to the others. "I only want to see any of you on guard duty or, better yet, go home. He's going to have final business to take care of once he's out of the hospital."

"Theodora, we only just arrived," Thor protested, not understanding the fight.

"Tough shit. There will be plenty of time to catch up later." She checked Steve's jaw and sighed. "Great, he tore his stitches. Y'all really gotta leave now."

There were a few grumbles, but the team did as she demanded and left the room.

Teddy gathered some supplies to re-stitch the corner of Steve's mouth. She blamed the Grey's Anatomy couple in the supply closet. Their hospital drama was contagious.

Maybe she was just getting tired. She'd barely slept in the past three days and she wasn't able to eat as much as she would like. Steve would probably be completely healed within the next week. She'd be able go home then and just forget about it.

Steve came to once more about 12 hours later, when she was switching out his gauze and checking the progress of his healing. She measured the wounds and compared them to what was written in his chart. They had decreased by half and were showing no signs of infection. He woke up while she was getting him back into his hospital gown.

"You're awake," she commented.

"I thought Tony was here," said Steve looking dazed. "He was yelling at me."

"Visiting hours are over," she replied, not in the mood to tell him what he did.

"Why was he yelling?"

"Because he cares about all of his teammates and you scared him," she lied. "How does your stomach feel?"

"Empty," he croaked smacking his lips. "Can I have some water?"

"Sure." She put down her pen and stuck her head out into the hallway requesting water.

"I'll get it," a small brunette from the nurse's station volunteered.

"Thank you." She went back to Steve. "On a scale of One being nothing-I'm-fine, five being distracting, and ten being oh-God-end-my-suffering, how would you rate your pain?"

He thought about it, nearly dozing off as he did so. "Four when I don't move."

She jotted that down. The nurse in pink scrubs came in with a jug of water that had the hospital's name plastered on the side.

"Here," she handed it to Teddy breathlessly and lingered in the doorway. "It's really him? Captain America?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Why did he destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.?" she asked.

"Justice!" Steve shouted.

"Oh, hush," Teddy snapped. Obviously, the tranquilizer was still affecting him. "It became corrupted and he saved the lives of millions of people from Nazis. Again."

Her mouth made a small 'o'.

"I need to tend to my patient now, so…"

"Oh! Right." She blushed. "Sorry."

Teddy shut the door behind her and brought Steve the water. "Here. Drink up."

Within the next three days, Steve was good as new and discharged from the hospital. Natasha brought by clothes for him to change into. While he dressed, Teddy cleaned up the hospital room since they were kind enough to let her do what she was hired by Tony Stark to do.

"Are you coming?" Steve asked her.

She shook her head, avoiding eye contact. "Tony's taking me home. He already made arrangements for your stuff to be taken back to the Tower."

"Alright," he said awkwardly. "I guess I'll see you there then."

She huffed and gathered up her things in a new backpack Natasha brought by. "Good luck doing whatever needs to be done."

"Teddy…"

"I'm gone," she said and hurried out, her long legs bringing her to the elevator long before anybody could stop her.

She knew she was opening a door for confrontation but, honestly, at this point she didn't give a shit. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Tony that she was ready to go.

He replied almost immediately that he was waiting out front for her. Exiting the building she found him sitting in a bright red sports car with white leather seats. People snapped photos of the famous man, but nobody dared to approach.

"Hey," she greeted, dumping her bag in the back seat before hopping in.

"You look exhausted," he commented sliding on his red tinted sunglasses.

"I've been caring for a super soldier the past week and a half and before then, I was being tracked down by Hydra," she retorted. "Of course, I'm exhausted."

They had been driving for a while when Tony finally spoke up. "So, you and Cap?"

"There is no me and Cap," she scoffed and propped her elbow on the car door.

"But you want there to be."

"Yeah. I was going to talk to him about it but obviously he's not interested."

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugged. "Just the way he's been acting. I know what he looks like when he's attracted to somebody. Once they show interest back, he gets more confident. Before then, there's a bit of shyness." She looked over to Tony. "He's just being a bitch baby. At first, I thought he was just scared because I got caught up in all of this Hydra shit, but then he blurted our secret to Natasha and… he said it meant nothing." She anxiously tugged on her ear. "But then he turns around and says it was great… I just… I don't think I really get him anymore."

Tony whistled. "You guys have some things you need to talk about then, don't you?"

She nodded in agreement. "Frankly, I'd like to just shut down all communications and avoid him but when you live in the same building it's a little tough."

"You could always quit," Tony suggested.

Teddy slowly turned to him. "Remember what I am and repeat those words."

He shook his head. "Right, stupid suggestion."

"Mm-hmm." She looked away and watched the city go by. "How are things at the lab? Anybody miss me?"

"Well, Thor misses his sparring partner."

That would be a definite no. She was afraid of that. "My research is going nowhere. You, Bruce, and Jane are coming up with a new experiment every week and I'm still working on the same two from when I started working for you. I prided myself on being smart and innovative, but it feels like half the time I'm just riding on your coat tails. I built a fucking manic-depressive robot and Jane is working on inter-galactic space travel and you and Bruce are cooking up cool stuff like Veronica."

"Is that why you decided to go on an impromptu trip to see Iced Americano even though you hadn't left in months?" he asked. "Boost your morale?"

"Well, he does give the best speeches," she replied half-heartedly.

"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you here."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

"I don't care if you churn out a new invention every week or if you spend the rest of your life on this one thing. You're important, because you listen," he said earnestly. "Everyone, including me, have their heads stuck so far up their asses that they can only pay attention to their own problems.

"You've been dealing with racism, prejudice against Mutants, and misogyny ever since before you started working for me and yet you listen to all of us as if our problems are above everything. Bruce fell asleep when I tried to talk to him about what happened with losing Pepper, but you sat me down and made me start from the beginning. Nobody ever did that for me before. Nobody ever thinks about what I went through in that cave, but you did. You know what? Being Earth's Mightiest Heroes means we have Earth's Mightiest Baggage."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well. Burdens are easier to share with another person."

"My point is, we need you because you care about us more than just what the public sees."

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. We'll be back at the tower in a couple of hours," he said. "Why don't you pick what we do for lunch?"

"Anything but Burger King."

He gagged. "Ew, no. That was the first thing I tasted when I got back, and I pretty much destroyed my whole company."

Teddy threw her head back and laughed. A weight lifted off her chest and, finally, she could breathe again.

When they returned home, Ida freaked out a little in her own Ida way when Teddy returned home. Meaning her eyes were wider, her nostrils flared ever-so-slightly, and she had a slight inflection to her tone. Teddy apologized for scaring her and the two friends managed to have lunch before the smaller of the two had to get back to work running a section of a Fortune 500 company.

Teddy entered her lab and sat down in her chair. Everything had a new perspective now. It was like when she first came to New York City. She was inspired. Renovated. Remanufactured.

Tony's words sunk in.

Perhaps she didn't _have_ to be original to come up with something great.

And she could start with something for her boss. Steve didn't get her this job. Tony saw something in her and liked it. If he really didn't want an assistant who was also a nurse/bio-chemist-engineer whatever with a field in genetic research, he wouldn't have hired her. She would still be a nurse in a crappy apartment dreaming of doing big things but having zero resources and prospects.

Switching on some music, Teddy rolled over to her computer and began programming a new A.I. for a new robot.


	23. Chapter 22

**It was kinda tough to start this chapter but then I wrote ten pages in, like, an hour and a half so that's cool, I guess.**

It came as a bit of a shock when Teddy and Steve declared themselves a couple. Steve received numerous threats from the other Avengers (and from Georgia and Ida) that if he ever hurt Teddy then he would regret it, while simultaneously was elbowed humorously about finally putting himself out there. When Teddy posted on social media about it, the gossip blogs and magazines had a lot to say about it.

But they didn't have time to worry about that. Instead, they would need to learn how to work together as a team. For real this time, not just a bunch of people doing their own thing and managing to work together.

Especially since they had a lot of Nazi facilities to take out.

About a month after HYDRA's resurfacing. Tony called a meeting in the massive gym. It had been reinforced to take their training sessions. Today, several tables were set up against the walls. The Avengers lined up in workout gear. Thor had taken to t-shirts and sweatpants as well as Steve did.

"All right, listen up a-holes," said Teddy. "Tony and I have been working tirelessly on some new toys for everyone and concepts for us to execute while we're taking down HYDRA. Now, with the Hulk on our side, we need to find a way to revert him back to puny Banner."

"How are we gonna do that?" Bruce asked.

"We're going to create a code kind of like a reverse sleeper agent," she replied. "Every day you're going to meditate and each one of us will practice with you until you associate it with calm and peace. Anyone of us needs to be able to bring you down."

"What's the code?" Natasha asked.

Teddy cleared her throat. "Hey, big guy. Sun's getting real low. You did good work today and now it's time to rest." She held out a hand to Bruce. He stared at her uncertainly and put his hand over hers; she tapped it and turned it over, then dragged her hand along his forearm to his fingers.

"And there we go," she said. "Everyone practice with Bruce, we will schedule it out so it doesn't get annoying and have the opposite effect."

"And now the fun part," said Tony. "Teddy and I built some new toys and new armor for everyone."

"Clint, we made special hearing aids for you," said Teddy, opening a black case. "These will connect to our comms and have a special casing to prevent them from short-circuiting."

Clint removed his regular hearing aids and put the new ones in.

"How are they?" Teddy asked, signing just in case.

"Comfy," he said. "Love the clarity."

"Keep your old ones on you as backup though," she warned. "You can never be too cautious."

"I have a question," said Sam. "Teddy, I thought you weren't going to go into the field."

"I'm not fighting alongside you," said Teddy. "I'm going to be the Lady in the Chair. Tony has Jay, so the rest of you will have me. I can also be the emergency medic."

"Good idea," said Steve. "I wouldn't want to put you in harms way but I like having you as part of the team. Now, what toys did you bring?"

Tony and Teddy grinned and removed the sheet.

"Sam, we made you a special pair of carbon-fiber wings," said Teddy, holding up the pack. "Light. Durable. Bulletproof. Water proof. Fire resistant. It comes with these bombass goggles that are hooked up to our computers and we're giving you control of your own line of drones." She gestured to the five carbon airplanes that would fold up.

"Aw, hell yeah!" said Sam immediately putting on the goggles. He looked around. "I can see y'alls stats! This is so cool!"

"I am perfectly content with my hammer," said Thor. "Though I do appreciate any thought and — " he paused and went over to the table. "What is this?" he asked picking up a disk that had a thunder bolt on it.

"Ooh! Put that on your wrist and kinda push out," said Teddy.

Thor slipped it on and firmly pushed his arm forward. The disk buzzed and lit up into a plasma shield.

"Think fast," said Tony, his gauntlet appearing in his hand. He fired it, everyone watching in amazement as the energy was absorbed by the shield.

"Used for when you're faced with a lot of gun fire," said Teddy. Not always a lot of cover and we can't all carry dinner plates." She winked at Steve who grinned.

"Natasha," she continued. "We have some Widow's Bite gauntlets for you, electric batons, and some fancy guns that will work underwater if you need them to. I also designed a new catsuit for you. Sleek, breathable, temperature controlled with charged cotton and foamed neoprene infused with copper and an overlay of carbon fiber and kevlar to make it bullet proof at distances longer than ten feet. Fits easily under civilian clothes. Also, it runs its own battery to charge your weapons and it looks hella fine."

"Can't wait to try it on," said Natasha.

"It can be worn with underwear just so you know," said Teddy.

"Good to know."

"We have similar body suits for everyone to wear under their uniforms," said Tony. "The neoprene is to prevent injections of micro-toxins and the charged cotton infused with copper keeps body temperatures regulated."

"I wanted us to wear similar uniforms like the X-Men but that was shot down," said Teddy, rolling her eyes. "Steve's stealth suit was also a no-go."

"We can't pick a design just because it will make Steve's ass look good," Tony argued.

"Speak for yourself," said Natasha.

"I agree with Tony," said Sam. "If we made Steve's ass look good, everyone would get distracted."

"Perhaps we could use this to our advantage on the battlefield," said Thor. "I motion we make all of our asses look good."

This caused everyone to break out into howls of laughter. Tony made a big show of making a note of that.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with everyone trying out their weapons. Teddy and Tony issued a small belt of standard weapons between the lot of them which included on sight emergency gauze, as well as tiny grenades the size of cigarette lighters.

"How we looking Teddy?" Tony asked.

Teddy was standing on a catwalk above the gym taking notes and videos of their training.

"Sexy, but not like we're trying too hard," she said. "Sure, we're trying, but it's almost effortless."

"Think we'll be ready to fight HYDRA?"

"I think we need another week-and-a-half to plan our first strike," she replied. "I'm going to have Ida contact the local governments of the cities and make them aware of what we'll be doing. Wouldn't look good for us to just swing in and blow up a building."

"Where do we begin?" Steve asked.

"It'll take us a few years to actually get rid of them, but I managed to find their locations. Most of the facilities are in Europe but we have one in China, one in Egypt, another in South Africa, and one in Nicaragua. We also have three facilities here. The one in D.C. was destroyed and as for the other two: one is in Canada and the other is in Utah."

"Utah?"

"Hey, I didn't pick the locations," said Teddy. "I think we better go with Utah first. These dipshits have been polluting the natural resources."

"Alright, Utah it is," said Tony.

"I think while we're there we should make our protest of taking the land of the natives in the area," Teddy continued. "Maybe we can set up one of the clean power sources and a steady water supply. Do you know how many Native Americans go without clean water and have no power? They shouldn't have to give up their culture to live."

"Okay, get rid of HYDRA and improve life for indigenous peoples," said Tony. "I wonder if we can come up with something that can clean water quickly."

"I do have a concern," said Steve. "What if you get attacked Teddy?"

"Thor and I have been training," she replied. "I have a weapon of my own in the event of an emergency. I decided my Garnet gloves are good for an escape but what if they get broken?" She drew a staff from a holster and extended it. The sound reverberated around the room. "Vibranium. I've been exchanging ideas with a scientist in Wakanda. They hooked me up with some." She leapt over the side of the catwalk into a super hero landing. "Figured I might embrace my Dora Milaje ancestry. Come at me, bro."

Thor grinned and jumped in with the fighting. Teddy loved the way the staff felt as she wielded it. It was light like aluminum but packed the punch of Adamantium. She melded the tip into a crescent shaped spear head that could hook and slice, getting rid of weapons easily.

The example fight was mostly just a sparring session but it did need to come to an end when Thor brought the hammer down and Teddy blocked it with the shaft. It didn't create quite the impact like Steve's shield but it was enough to knock everyone off their feet and shudder the lights.

"Okay," said Steve. "Glad I don't have to worry about you them."

Teddy winked at him and collapsed her weapon once more before holstering it.

The entire week was filled with Steve coming up with strategies for everyone to work together. It would take a true battle for them to get a feel for working together again but it was good to practice. That meant training on each others weapons to get an appreciation for one another's talents and for emergency use. The only exception was Mjölnir.

Teddy hadn't intended to get in the way when Steve and Tony were practicing using the shield to ricochet and blast away targets. Mostly for use on drones and large vehicles. She was just taking notes on the angles and physics for Bruce while he was working on "Sun's Getting Real Low" with Clint.

Tony's hand shifted ever so slightly and one of the beams bounced off the shield wrong and shot out just as Teddy raised her hand to make a comment.

Steve dropped his shield and Tony covered his mouth with his hands. Teddy paused and looked at the space where her hand was supposed to be. She stared at the cauterized residual limb a moment before screaming.

"What the _FUCK_ YOU GUYS?!" Clint bellowed. He jumped to his feet and grabbed a towel to wrap up Teddy's arm.

"Oh, fuck, Teddy, I'm so sorry," said Steve rushing over. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"

"What's a hospital going to do?" Teddy asked running to her emergency kit. She grabbed a needle and, with one hand, filled it with a numbing agent then injected it into her arm. "Sew my arm back on? It's cauterized, I'll be fine."

"You don't have an arm, Teddy!" Tony shouted.

"It's just a flesh wound," she replied and sucked on her teeth. "I think practice is over for today."

Steve followed her into the elevator as did the others.

"Teddy, why are you so calm about this?" he asked, sweating and shaking. He had seen plenty of limb loss during the war and Teddy was worried if she freaked, he would freak.

"This is the second time this has happened, baby," she replied airily. "I'll be in for a bitch of a time but it'll grow back."

"Did she say grow back?" Bruce asked, looking a little… well, green. He wasn't _that_ kind of doctor and while Hulk had no issues with gore, Bruce Banner was a different matter.

"Yes, I did." Teddy leaned back against the elevator. "Regenerative cells, remember? Unfortunately, the bones come in first, so if you're queasy I wouldn't recommend staying around me for — " she looked at how much was gone — "the next ten hours."

"I would think it would grow back like a tree limb," said Tony. "If it'll actually grow back."

"The ligaments and muscle need something to grab onto," she explained and removed the towel to show the bone that already broke through. Clint gagged.

The elevator doors opened and Bruce ran to the nearest trash can to empty his stomach. Teddy entered her lab with her sickened entourage behind her.

"Jay, measure how long it takes for my arm to grow back," said Teddy.

" **I thought your thesis had been completed, Dr. Williams,"** said Jarvis.

"I have a feeling this won't be the last time a limb gets severed, I want to see if there is a consistent growing rate. Thinking ahead."

" **Very well. From my records the limb was lost at two-sixteen in the afternoon today."**

"Thank you, Jay," she replied blowing a kiss to the ceiling. "I will be just fine in time for our first mission tomorrow. We all need a good night's sleep."

Steve swallowed the bile forming in his throat. Teddy snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Why don't you go for a jog?" she suggested.

"No, I can't leave you here to deal with this," he said adamantly. "I'll be fine."

Teddy shook her head. "You're sweet but I can see you are not fine. It's okay. You've supported me so far, but everyone has their limits."

"I'll stay with her," said Clint. "I think I'm the least grossed out."

As she predicted, Teddy's arm had returned in ten hours. Tony had come in at one point to check on her and fainted at the sight of Clint and Teddy playing Uno. Granted, she had one arm that was all bone with pink tendons stretched over it and she _probably_ shouldn't have waved that one when he came in.

Despite that hiccup, they were ready to begin taking down HYDRA. They suited up in their new uniforms, readied their weapons, and went over the plan one more time. Even though he uniform probably wouldn't be seen, Teddy still went with a sleek suit of black and gold.

"What do you think?" she asked Steve and struck a Wonder Woman super hero pose. "Bad ass, right?"

"Uh…" was all Steve could say.

"Wow, you really have a way with words," Natasha teased.

Teddy patted his cheek then took her spot in the cockpit of the Quinjet.

"This plane doesn't start until all seatbelts are buckled," she called behind her. Once she heard the zips and clicks, she started up the jet and took off into the sky. After ten minutes and the cabin was pressurized, Teddy turned off the seatbelt sign.

"You are now free to move about the cabin," she said into her headset.

"Everybody set on the plan?" Steve asked when they were close.

"Stark, Thor, and I go in first," said Sam.

"You, Tasha, and I follow," said Clint.

"And I will wait here with Teddy unless we need a code green," said Bruce.

"The weak point of the building is on the west side and we'll be against the sun so we have that going for us," said Steve. "There are three watch towers with big, fucking guns, so Sam, Thor, Tony go for those first."

"Guys, we're almost at the destination," said Teddy, switching on the cloaking device. "Get ready."

Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Bruce strapped themselves in while Sam, Thor, and Tony went to the hatch. Teddy took a deep breath and leveled out to a hover. She opened the hatch and readied all of her monitors. As the three left, nine drones exited to follow each Avenger as well as keep eyes on the terrain. Each one had a separate screen. She had prepared for this her entire teen and young adult years.

Thor, Tony, and Sam took off into the sky and aimed for the watch towers. Teddy gently lowered the quinjet to the ground so Steve, Natasha, and Clint could join the fray. All three mounted their specially made motorcycles that had been released from the bottom and were on their way to take down the foot soldiers.

"So…" said Bruce awkwardly. "What made you decide to become an Avenger?"

Teddy pushed her mic out of the way. "I didn't want to just sit at home and do nothing." She put it back. "Alright everyone, this facility isn't well protected but there are about 200 soldiers out there. Be careful when making this building go boom because there's a reservoir nearby and I will put each one of you on litter duty to keep this land clean."

" _You got it, Mr. President,"_ said Tony.

All-in-all, the mission went without a hitch.

And so did the one after that. When they began to get to the facilities that were too close to towns, Teddy, Tony, and Bruce created the Iron Legion which would warn citizens to keep away from disaster area. They were programmed to speak several dominant languages in the area to make sure everyone got the message. It wasn't perfect, but there wasn't as much animosity as there could have been.

Not with Teddy being insistent on balancing out their damage with good deeds. She wasn't content with throwing money at problems. So, after a facility went down, the Avengers were right there to help with clean up.

In between, they would go to hospitals or plant trees in parks. All sorts of things that could have been labeled as publicity stunts but weren't because they were gone by the time major press came to take pictures. This meant that footage was bought from people who happened to take photos and videos with their phones.

Then, they had their first mission to Europe. One of the facilities was in France and it would be a bit of a longer mission.

—

Ida had grown used to not seeing her friend that much anymore. Frankly, becoming Pepper Potts personal assistant was one of the greatest things that ever happened to her. She wouldn't want the stress to run a company but this job was perfect for her mutant powers. It made her the perfect assistant who could do anything that was assigned to her. Plus, the pay was excellent and she got to be close to her best friend.

They had been friends ever since Teddy and her sister came to Xavier's School for Gifted Youths. Ida never would have thought she'd be friends with somebody that perky and annoying but it happened. Frankly, if it weren't for Teddy, she wouldn't be as happy as she was today.

"Are you okay, Ida?" Pepper asked, startling her assistant out of her thoughts. "You seem a little down."

"I had a wonderful day," said Ida, her voice remaining chill and neutral. "I got my favorite coffee for free from Starbucks because someone didn't pick it up, I finished all of my reports early, and tonight it my night off. I couldn't be more elated."

Pepper stared at her a moment then nodded slowly. "Alright, enjoy your night off. Um… did you want any company? Jane, Darcy, and I are going out for girl's night."

"No, thank you," said Ida, her expression and tone unwavering. "I'm picking up takeout from my favorite Halal place and binge-watching Project Runway."

"Okay. Enjoy yourself."

Ida nodded and finished her filing. It was a pleasant fall evening so she walked to get her takeout. When she returned to her apartment and kicked her heels off, she knew something was wrong. Her amber eyes studied the dark interior of the apartment.

"Jarvis, turn on the lights in the kitchen and the living room."

" **Welcome home, Miss Washington. I trust your day was well?"**

"Couldn't've been better," she replied and paused when she heard a noise. She turned her head and saw Teddy's fat cat leap down from one of the bookcases with a thud. "Slagathor. Don't do that. You scared me."

He meowed and sat down on the floor.

Ida set down the bag on the kitchen counter and began unloading food. She bought a lot so she could try everything and the rest would be eaten by Teddy once she got home from superhero duty.

The apartment was too quiet. Ida glanced up and saw that the door to the guest bedroom was open slightly. They never kept doors open because it freaked Teddy out. Jarvis was supposed to keep out intruders but robots, even intelligent ones could be fooled. Heart rate increasing, Ida went for the gun that was stashed in the sponge holder under the sink.

Despite her fear, she kept her stony exterior. "Just so you know, I hope you don't let my food get cold," she said.

Hell yeah. Bad ass quote.

Something shifted. Ida ducked low and aimed at the door.

"Show yourself. Step out slowly," she said. "Hands in the air. I'd prefer _not_ to have to clean blood out of the carpet."

Ida: 2. Intruder: 0.

The door creaked open. Ida prepared for a fight and ten fighting styles appeared in her vision. Her eyes suddenly turning that electric blue must've scared the intruder because a vase was lobbed at her head. She leapt over the counter and broke into an all out fight.

The stranger was tall, bulky, and she couldn't see his face due to his hoody. She fired her gun and it was stopped by a metal casing on his left arm. So, it was a fist fight he wanted. As she fought with moves that would make Black Widow proud, Ida was struck by how bad this intruder smelled. His clothes were shabby like he'd been living in him.

Why would a homeless man break into Avengers Tower? Ida jumped onto his back and slammed the handle of her gun into his skull. He immediately crumpled to the ground.

Ida: 3. Intruder: 0.

"Let's see who you really are," she said and ripped the hood back.

The man had long brown hair and a scruffy beard. He had a black eye and a cut on his cheek like he'd been jumped in an alleyway.

"Oh, fuck. It's James Barnes." Ida groaned and stomped her foot. "I just pistol-whipped Steve Roger's best friend."

" **Yes, that sums it up,"** said Jarvis.

"Jarvis, why didn't you tell me that Bucky Barnes was here?"

" **I had orders from Dr. Williams to let her know when Mr. Barnes arrived at the Tower and nobody else was to know. I do apologize that he scared you… I think. I detected elevated heart rate but no fear."**

"Right…" Ida stood up and fixed her pencil skirt. She saw a small tear in it and sighed. "I just bought this skirt."

Ida dug her phone out of her bag and called Teddy.

" _Hello?"_ said Teddy.

" _We're still here,"_ said Steve.

" _Ah, shit, I forgot to put my headset on call,"_ said Teddy.

" _What's going on?"_ Natasha asked.

" _I got a call,"_ said Teddy.

" _Who is it?"_ Thor asked.

"It's Ida."

" _Oh, hello, Ida,"_ said Thor cheerfully. _"Is Jane—"_ he was interrupted by the sounds of fighting— _"Is Jane there?"_

" _Thor, no!"_

" _Ida, what's wrong?"_ Teddy asked. _"Can it wait?"_

"Not exactly," said Ida, looking at Bucky's unconscious form. He groaned a little but other than that didn't move. "How soon do you think you'll be home?"

" _Well— Bruce, we have a code green— we're sort of. Can I put you on hold?"_

"Fine."

Ida put her phone on speaker and then on the counter. She wasn't certain how he would react when he woke up and it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Ugh, I wish my powers extended to strength," she groaned as she dragged Bucky to a chair. It was hard to get him in, but with her powers, she managed to figure out the best way. Then, she strapped him down with duct tape making sure that each leg was strapped down as well.

She went into the guest room and saw a backpack. Inside was a wallet, a kindle, a couple t-shirts, and notebooks. As she was about to skim them, Teddy's voice rang out.

" _Hello, Ida?"_

Ida tapped her blue tooth earphone. "Still here."

" _I'mma have to call you back."_

"But—"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Ida sighed and took the blue tooth out. She put herself together a bowl of food, heated it up in the microwave, and sat down in a chair across from Bucky. As soon as she did, he opened his eyes and looked around blearily. He stiffened as he realized his position and began straining.

"Please don't," said Ida.

Bucky stopped and stared at her slightly open-mouthed.

Ida: 4. Bucky: 1 after he kinda crushed her while she was getting him in the chair.

"You scared me," she said. "I wasn't expecting you to show up. I would've thought you'd go to Steve's apartment. It's kinda easy, his button is the one with the shield on it."

Bucky stared at her, his gaze lowered, and his tongue swiped over his lips; for a cynical moment she thought he was staring at her breasts before realizing he was looking at the bowl of food in her hands.

"When was the last time you ate?" she asked.

He looked back at her and his stomach growled, he inhaled sharply like he did something wrong.

"A while then," she said. "I don't trust you enough to free you." But she didn't want to summon an Iron Legion.

Ida rose to her feet and put together a bowl of food.

"I hope you like falafel," she said and placed the food at the table before painstakingly dragging him over to it.

She held up the bread but his lips were sealed.

"Oh, come on," she said. "It isn't poisoned. See?" She took a small bite and made a big show of chewing and swallowing. After that, he leaned forward and took a bite.

Ida fed him some of the food, trying to ignore hobo smell. He'd been on the run for nearly six months. Of course he'd smell bad.

"You don't say much," she commented. "I've never had to talk so much out of work in my life."

The corner of Bucky's mouth quirked up but other than that he said nothing.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "You here for Steve?"

He tipped his head to the side then looked at the photo of Georgia on the wall. He nodded his head towards her and it occurred to Ida that he thought that was Teddy.

"What do you want with Teddy?"

Bucky nodded to his flesh arm.

"Oh… she helped you and offered to protect you," she remembered.

He nodded once.

"Okay… so, why show up now? You're not going to hurt anyone are you? Where have you been these past few months? Did somebody hurt you? Besides me, I mean."

Bucky's eyes widened and he struggled a little bit. He looked wildly at her, the lamp over the table, and around the darkened room.

"Sorry, guess you don't want to be interrogated," said Ida. "Jarvis. Lights."

All the lights on the bottom floor turned up and Bucky relaxed slightly. The phone rang. Ida jumped to her feet and answered it.

" _Okay, battle is over, we're in the air,"_ said Teddy. _"What's up?"_

"Well, I sort of have Bucky Barnes tied up in the kitchen," said Ida.

" _Oh. Did— are you okay?"_

"We kinda got into a scuffle, but he's injured," said Ida. "I fed and watered him but he isn't saying anything."

" _I'll be there shortly. Tony, I'm taking your suit."_

" _What?!"_

Ida leaned against the counter and studied Bucky. He studied her right back.

"What are you looking at?" she asked. "It's my charisma, isn't it? Well, stop looking at my charisma."

Bucky looked away and studied the apartment.

Ida: 6. Bucky: 1.

Teddy showed up in the next hour. She burst into the apartment checking Ida over first.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just a couple bumps."

"Okay, good. Good." Teddy looked at Bucky. "Did you—?"

"I hit him in the head but the black eye and cut aren't mine."

Teddy held up her hands and cautiously approached Bucky.

"Hey, Bucky," she said. "Remember me?"

He nodded once.

"I'm going to free you now." Teddy unwrapped the duct tape and wrapped it up into a ball.

"We're out of duct tape," said Ida.

Teddy scoffed and laughed. "Okay, Bucky, let's get you checked over. Ida? Can you get a change of clothes from Steve's the laundry room?"

"Yeah, okay."

When Ida entered the medic bay, Bucky was sitting on the examiner's table with his shirt off. His hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and several bandages were covering injuries he gathered from his time on the run. Every muscle was tense as if he were expecting chains to strap him down. He whipped his head around and Ida pretended she wasn't staring.

"Okay, Bucky," said Teddy. "Go ahead and take a shower just through there. I'll guard the door." She took the clothes from Ida and passed them to the soldier. "It's all fragrance free and easy on the skin. We can give you a haircut another day."

Once Bucky was in the bathroom and the shower was running, Teddy sat down in front of the door.

"Has he said anything?" Ida asked.

"Not a word. He doesn't have any scars to indicate snipped vocal chords, I think he's just… scared. Boy is going to have a serious case of PTSD. I don't know if he'll be able to speak or if he even knows sign language."

"Guess we'll have to wait and see."


	24. Chapter 23

**Yaaay, another chapter. My life is slowly crumbling around me, but I have not forgotten this story.**

Teddy was mad at herself for getting the comms mixed up with her phone. Everyone got distracted and it could've killed someone. She even more mad because Ida called her for help and she _put her on hold_! What kind of friend did that make her?

So now, they had a super-soldier-sized elephant in the room who was just staring at them looking as lost and confused as a child at the mall. If that child had long hair, a beard, and a metal arm. Some children fulfilled two out of three of those things but that wasn't the point. This man was on the run for six months. Who knew what happened to him and how he would react?

"So, Bucky," said Teddy, "Do you… what do you want to do?"

Bucky shrugged and stared at her like he'd never been asked what he wanted before. Perhaps he hadn't. She saw the machine. There was no telling what he could remember from his past life. If he could remember it at all.

"Well… you've had a long ordeal," she said. "Why don't you get some sleep."

He furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, sleep," said Teddy. "Mother Nature's system rebooting. Try it sometime. We can set you up in the guest bedroom."

Bucky followed her but remained standing just a couple feet behind her. According to his file, he was constantly cryogenically frozen, and his brain was probably scrambled from the memory wiping. It seemed all he knew was following orders.

" **Dr. Williams, the Avengers are home,"** said Jarvis.

"Aw, shit," Teddy muttered. "Okay, send them down."

" **All of them?"**

"Well… no. Just Steve."

" **I have alerted him of your request and that sparked the curiosity of the others."**

"Fuck." Teddy looked at Bucky and Ida.

"This is… alarming," said Ida.

The elevator door dinged, and the mudroom door was opened soon after. Steve pushed his way through not having bothered to clean the explosion soot off his face or even change out of his uniform.

"What happened, Teddy?" he asked. "Why did you…"

His eyes rested on his best friend and grew wide.

"Bucky!" he shouted.

Bucky backpedaled into the guest room and slammed the door shut.

"Wait, Buck!" said Steve. "It's me."

Teddy got between him and the door. Steve had that kicked puppy look on his face, and it broke her heart, but this was a… different situation. Bucky's mental state was questionable at best and if he was hiding from his best friend it was not a good idea to force a confrontation.

"He needs time," said Teddy. "I will sit in front of this door if I have to. It was very difficult for Bucky to come here you know."

"But— I—"

"Steve…" she widened her eyes hoping they would be more doe-like. "For me?"

He sighed and crumpled visibly, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "Okay."

"And take a shower, you smell."

"Right."

"So… this is happening?" said Tony.

"We're just letting the Winter Soldier stay here?" Natasha asked.

Teddy raised her eyebrows. "Oh, my God… you're scared, aren't you?"

"I'm not scared," she scoffed. "I'm just wondering why we're letting an emotionally unstable assassin stay here when he could be triggered."

"Triggered…" Teddy repeated.

"Just… Steve, let her read the file," said Natasha.

"Her read the file? Let _me_ read the file," said Tony. "This is the kind of shit that should've popped up when I hacked S.H.I.E.L.D."

"The easiest way to leave a paperless trail is to use paper," Teddy reasoned. "Let me read it as the attending physician and unofficial therapist. Then I'll decide what the next course of action is to take. Right now, we are protecting a very scared man who summoned up a lot of courage to be here right now. I will sit in front of this door for the rest of the night but, everyone, chill the fuck out and go about your business. All y'all need showers." She plunked down in front of the door and crossed her arms. "Only if he be worthy shall possess the power to move Theodora."

Thor chuckled at the comment knowing first hand of her gravitational shifting powers.

"Okay, I get the memo," said Steve kissing the top of her head. "I'll be back."

"I'll be here."

As promised, Steve returned wearing a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair damp from his shower. He sat down beside Teddy and handed her Bucky's file.

"Did you read it?" she asked, kissing his cheek

"No," he admitted. "I couldn't get very far, it just… it was too painful. If I woulda just gone and looked for him… maybe, I could've prevented this."

"Baby, you were on a bullet train and you had a lot going on," she said resting her cheek on his shoulder. "It happened. There isn't any magical stone that can send you back in time and… well, the girl we have that can technically send you back in time can only go back a couple months. Seventy years? That's a lot."

"I know… but I still can't help but wonder…"

Teddy nodded and hummed in understanding. She took his pale hand in her dark one and kissed his palm then intertwined their fingers. Taking a deep breath, she untied the string and flipped open the file. The first photo was of Bucky in his personal freezer. And then, she began to read.

James Buchanan Barnes, found in a chasm of the Swiss Alps by a passing HYDRA patrol. Brought to local base and was kept alive to torture for secrets. After release from the train, Dr. Arnim Zola immediately came and fitted Barnes with his prosthetic (using an Adamantium alloy) and started the brain wash procedure. The fall caused amnesia which made the process easier and thus the Winter Soldier was born.

They sent him to Russia after the war to reprogram him with The Red Room. He was put into the same training camp as the Black Widows. After that, he was moved to another facility dedicated to creating Super Soldiers. Further Information redacted.

They would wake him every-so-often to carry out assassination missions, each one successful. Any time it looked like he was remembering his past life, they would wipe him with a monster of a machine.

"What's this?" Steve asked, picking up a newspaper clipping.

 **HOWARD STARK AND WIFE DIE IN CAR ACCIDENT**

"Why would this…" Teddy's jaw dropped, and she looked at Steve. "No…"

This newspaper clipping was the same one showed by Zola the Super Computer.

Steve paled and took a shuddering breath. "No… it couldn't've been him. I refuse to believe it."

Teddy read the page and pursed her lips. "Steve, honey, get me my laptop."

"But—"

"Now."

He did as she asked. Teddy turned her audio on mute and brought up the leaked information which had so kindly been placed on specific websites similar to Wikipedia. The HYDRA site was decorated in red and black while S.H.I.E.L.D.s was blue and white. Teddy, typed in the search "Winter soldier" "Howard Stark".

It brought up a file… and a video. Teddy looked at Steve out of the corner of her eye and hit play. They watched in horror as the death of Howard Stark was proven to not be an accident. And that was unmistakably Bucky in his Winter Soldier gear.

"We have to tell Tony," said Teddy.

"What? No!"

"Steve, the longer we keep this from him, the worse it'll be when he finds out."

"Teddy… I just got him back…" Steve looked at the door. "My best friend… my _brother_ is in there and I'm not letting anyone hurt him again."

"Well… it's not like the Winter Soldier killed him on a whim… we'll… we'll look more into this," she said. "But if you don't tell Tony within the week, _I_ will. We do not have secrets in this family, you hear me?"

Steve stared at her a long moment and she knew that she had him.

"Okay."

Teddy ran her fingers through his hair.

"It's late," she commented. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm fine right here with you," he replied.

Gosh, he was sweet. She smirked. "You're just trying to butter me up, so I'll stop blocking this door."

"You saw right through me," he teased.

Even so, Steve ended up falling asleep, curled up beside her with his head resting on her thigh. Teddy, however, couldn't sleep. Not until she knew the entire story of why Howard Stark was killed by the Winter Soldier. When she had her answer, the sun was beginning to rise and she, too, fell asleep.

When she woke up, so was Steve. He brought her breakfast and they ate in silence while reviewing the Winter Soldier file. At one point, Teddy relinquished her spot, so they could slide a tray of food inside the room for Bucky.

"I'm thinking about what you said," Steve murmured. "I think you're right. We need to tell Tony as soon as possible."

"Tell me what?"

Tony strolled into the apartment with his hands behind his back. Rather than call him out on not knocking, Teddy sighed and held up the file.

"There's something we need to tell you," she said. "But before any of this goes too far, you need to hear all of it."

"Oh," said Tony. "You mean the fact that Steve's best buddy killed my mom? I've been tapping into your search results. Saw the video."

"Tony, it's not what you think," said Steve, getting to his feet.

"It wasn't Bucky," said Teddy. "It was the—"

"Winter Soldier," Tony finished sarcastically. "Well, he wasn't exactly using a stunt double now, was he?" He revealed his hands which were clad with his gauntlets.

"Oh, fuck!" Teddy jumped to her feet and spread out across the door.

"Let me pass, Teddy."

"No! Not until you hear what we have to say."

"Please, Tony!" said Steve, growing increasingly panicked. "He's my best friend. He didn't know what he was doing!"

"Back off, Rogers, you don't even know if that's your friend in there," Tony snarled.

This was getting bad. It was getting bad _very_ fast.

"ENOUGH!" Teddy bellowed. "Tony! Bucky didn't issue these kills. You can't arrest a gun for its trigger being pulled. Bucky Barnes is still in there somewhere. He hasn't hurt anyone in the past six months, he didn't hurt Ida, he didn't hurt me, and he didn't kill Steve in the hospital. If he had a choice, he would not have killed Howard."

"I. Don't. Care."

Tears of hurt and anger pooled in his eyes. All these years, Tony had no true closure for his parents' deaths. Of course, he would be angry.

"I don't care if somebody made him do it, he is still a monster."

Teddy inhaled sharply as if he hit her with one of his repulsers… "Well then… If you feel that way then I guess I'll leave, but I'm taking Bucky with me."

"What?" Tony faltered slightly.

"In case you forgot, I killed about a dozen people when I was under Kilgrave's control," she said coldly. "Bucky didn't issue the kill on your parents. Do you know who did? Obadiah-fucking-Stane. Howard wanted to get out of the weapons business and focus on clean energy and other technological advancements. This meant less money in his and Stane's pockets. Stane was selling weapons to HYDRA, Tony, and Howard nearly uncovered that when he was pulling out of his weapons contracts. So, Stane called in a favor to a 'good friend' in Russia." She scoffed and shook her head. "But sure, it's Bucky's fault he had his mind and body violated and was used by HYDRA. Just like it was my fucking fault that Kilgrave did the exact same God-damned thing.

"I know you're hurt, but you already had your revenge. Stane is dead. HYDRA is outed and once we destroy the last of their facilities your revenge will be complete. But leave the victims out of it."

Teddy snapped her gaze to Steve. "Don't go starting shit." She glared at Tony. "And since we have a 'no monsters' policy, I think I'm outta here.

Abandoning her things, she calmly walked away. As soon as she was up the stairs, an argument broke out between Tony and Steve. Hopefully this wouldn't split the Avengers, but she would have no part in it. It didn't take her long to pack her suitcase. Ida would send her her things but the important bit was to get out and make her point known.

When she went downstairs, Steve and Tony were going at it like she suspected. Steve was adamant about protecting his best friend even if it meant hiding some truths. Tony had emotional problems that were never addressed for, like, thirty years and was now living in the same place as the person who was used as a weapon to kill his parents.

She passed them and opened the bedroom door to find Bucky huddled in a corner. His eyes were wide, and he held up his hands.

"Come on, James," she said, picking up his backpack. "We're going to go away. Okay?"

Bucky furrowed his brow and grunted slightly.

"It's okay, I won't let you get hurt, but we need to go now before Tony and Steve kill each other."

He slid on his backpack and clipped it so that it wouldn't slide off. They weren't concerned about his shoes for the time being, since their destination wasn't too far away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tony asked.

"Leaving," she replied. "If this ain't the place for monsters, then I know a better one. Jarvis, close the doors before Tony or Steve can get in."

" **Yes, Dr. Williams."**

"And get Thor. I think he'll be able to keep Tony and Steve from killing each other."

Teddy took the elevator down to the car garage and led Bucky over to her Lexus. It was weird walking out like this, but she wasn't too scared of leaving. Problems needed to be sorted and it wasn't their job to sort them.

The drive to Westchester wasn't too bad and they didn't face any obstacles. Bucky grew anxious any time a black van passed them, yet he still said nothing. Well, while they were at the school they could work on communication skills.

" **Incoming call from: Big, Buff, and Bae,"** her car said.

"Ignore," said Teddy.

" **Incoming call from: Bae."**

"Answer."

" _Teddy? Where are you?"_ Ida's voice sounded. _"Thor is currently breaking up a fight between Tony and Steve. They broke our coffee table and our painting of Dogs Playing Pool is on fire."_

"I had to get Bucky out of there," said Teddy choosing to not tell her about Tony's comment. "We're going to the school. I think Bucky will be safer there."

" _Well… I'll go too,"_ said Ida. _"I haven't taken a vacation in four years."_

"Okay. We'll see you there, right Bucky?"

Bucky just stared at the screen.

" _Give him time,"_ said Ida. _"I'll pack my suitcase."_

"Love you, boo."

" _Love you, too."_

Teddy hit the End Call button and turned the music up. As they drove down the path, Bucky did a double take and stared out the window. His hand crept to his backpack and he drew a knife.

"Uh-uh!" said Teddy, taking it from him. She stashed it in the center console. "No, Bucky. Everyone here is a friend."

Bucky stared at her like an angry cat. Teddy ignored him and stopped at the gate.

" _Password?"_ a voice crackled.

"Open the damn door," she said.

" _Sorry, that was the old one."_

Teddy rolled her eyes and thought for a minute. "Mutant and Proud?"

" _Nuh-uh."_

"Bitch, you best be letting us in right now before I kick this door in myself."

" _Who is this?"_ a heavy Russian voice said.

"Theodora Williams," said Teddy. "You know… Menhit?"

" _Ah! Yes! Come in. It has been too long."_

The gate opened, and they were allowed through. Teddy parked and grabbed her suitcase out of the back. The yard was filled with kids practicing their powers, Bucky stared at it though Teddy wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"This is Xavier's School for Gifted Youths," she explained. "It's for people who are… different."

He looked at her then at his arm.

"We have one girl who accidentally killed her boyfriend," she said. "Everyone is here so they can't be hurt and can't hurt others while they learn to control their powers."

"Well, hey there sunshine," said a gruff voice. Wolverine exited out the front door in his trademark tank top, leather jacket, and well-fitted jeans.

"Hey, Logan."

Wolverine frowned. "What, no squealing, no picking me up like I'm a toddler? Don't even get your texts anymore."

"I didn't know you missed them," she said.

"I don't," he said quickly and looked at Bucky. "New guy—" his eyes widened in recognition— "James? James Barnes?"

Bucky furrowed his brow and backed up, so he was behind Teddy.

"Hey, c'mon," he said. "It's me, Lucky, remember? We fought in World War II together."

"He can't," said Teddy. "I think we'd better go inside and I'll explain."

Bucky craned his head this way and that, trying to get a good look at the school. He paused in surprise when a girl walked by with a fish bowl around her head. She grinned toothily at him and winked. Teddy took his hand and held onto it like a mother would a child.

"Never woulda thought…" said Logan after he was brought up to speed. "Think the Professor could take a look at him?"

"Only if he's okay with it," said Teddy.

"Oh, sure, the Professor—"

"I mean Bucky. He hasn't said a word in the past twenty-four hours."

Logan stood with his arms akimbo and furrowed his brow.

"What happened to him?"

"HYDRA happened." Teddy draped an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "Come on, let's go get you settled in and we'll see the Professor."

Bucky stared at her and since he didn't seem to be freaking out, Teddy took that as confirmative.

"Know what?" she said. "The Professor might be too intrusive. Why don't I get my sister instead?"

"I'll call Georgia," said Logan. "And… I'll do anything I can to help an old army pal."

"Thanks, Logan," said Teddy giving him a giant hug.

"Alright, alright." He patted her back. "Put me down so I can call your sister."

"You know you love my hugs, you big softie," she teased.

Logan grumbled and muttered under his breath but didn't deny it.

Teddy found an empty dorm and wrote Bucky's name on the roster.

It took two days, but they were finally ready to find out exactly how deep Bucky's brain damage went. Teddy spent most of the time on her computer locking Tony out and working with the kid who could enter the internet on setting up walls to fight Jarvis.

When it came time, Georgia took Bucky's hand and led him into an adamantium lined room. It was small with two comfy arm-chairs and a small table for drinks.

"We'll be back and, if we can, the Professor would like to see him as well," said Georgia.

"Do what you need to do."

Teddy sat down at a table in Beast's laboratory and got to work on her laptop. She'd have to find another job but, for now, she just wanted to see if she could do anything to help Bucky mentally or physically.

A chatroom popped up on her screen. The **Wakanda Forever** chat site. Teddy stumbled upon it by accident and it dwindled down to her and this kid, but they'd been talking ever since she stopped leaving Avengers Tower.

 **Littlepanther02:** Hey!

 **Littlepanther02:** You there?

 **Littlepanther02:** I see you're online!

 **Littlepanther02:** Don't make me freeze everything, I will do it.

Teddy rolled her eyes and got to typing.

 **Menhit88:** Whoa there, kiddo, things have been crazy around here.

 **L:** What's up? Trouble in paradise?

Littlepanther02 knew who Teddy was and where she was holed up at. Teddy didn't know anything except this was a kid and one who was smarter than Tony Stark. They mostly talked shop and sometimes littlepanther02 would ask for life advice. Teddy didn't dump any of her life or trauma on this kid and just liked to talk to someone about her ideas.

 **M:** Kind of… you know how there was that huge HYDRA spill?

 **L:** Yeah, I've been reading through the weapons files. So primitive.

 **M:** Something related to that.

 **M:** How would you recommend with memory loss? Like… cryofrozen… thawed… brainwashed… and brain melted kind of memory loss?

 **L:** That depends

 **L:** On

 **L:** What technology you have.

Teddy sighed and rested her chin in her hand.

 **M:** Avengers Tower is more focused on clean energy and saving the world than medical marvels. I've been talking with Helen Cho, she lives in Korea. I am working on something now, but it's actually for Tony. It's to help people going through depression and emotional trauma, but it isn't for our theoretical person.

 **L:** I'll have to research that. I think we have some ancient Wakandan medicines that would help, but nothing for what you are describing. How bad is it beneath the surface?

 **M:** I'll be hearing back from my sister on what she thinks in a few.

 **L:** Okay. In the meantime, why don't you show me some of those ideas you have, and I will tell you how to make them better.

 **M:** When you turn eighteen you should apply for a Stark Internship. You'd own this company in five years with your knowledge. All you need is resources.

 **L:** Trust me, resources are not in short supply.

 **M:** My daddy always said Wakanda had the best resources, but vibranium? I thought all of it was gone. Please note, my daddy is over 200 years old.

 **L:** Is this chatroom secure?

 **M** : For now. Will giving me this knowledge get you in trouble?

 **L:** Probably.

 **M:** Then don't tell me. I don't want to know anything that I can't tell my sister or best friend.

 **L:** Probably a good thing then. I have to go. My brother is being snoopy.

 **M:** I'll email you some of my ideas and I'll tell you how my friend is. Be good, kiddo, and try not to get into too much trouble.

 **L:** I'm never in trouble.

 **L:** I'm in trouble.

 _Littlepanther02 is offline._

Teddy rolled her eyes. Kids.

Georgia and Bucky entered the lab. Bucky sat on one of the examination tables and folded his hands in his lap.

"What's the verdict?" Teddy asked.

"His mind is… it's…" Georgia gesticulated as she tried to find her words. "It's there… but not… I don't…"

The Professor wheeled in behind her.

"He doesn't know how to express himself," he said. "We can't alter anything without hurting him. At this point in time, it is best to keep him in a place that he is safe and… where others are safe from him. He understands this much, and he understands that you want to protect him."

"So, we just have to find a way to help him express himself," said Ida, looking up from her tablet. "It's not enough to be able to write down what he wants to say, we need to know how he's feeling on a daily basis."

"How do you propose that?" Teddy asked. Her mind was rushing with electronic mood rings that monitored his blood pressure, like Bruce, or anything that might be able to signal them in a drastic brain chemistry change.

"Leave it to me," said Ida and extended her hand to Bucky. "Is it okay if we sit somewhere quiet for a while? I just want to help."

Bucky inclined his head slightly but didn't touch her hand. The pair headed out of the room.

"We'll be back in a couple hours," said Ida neutrally. "I'll text you updates."

"I've never seen her so determined," Georgia commented.

"I think she really wants to help Bucky," said Teddy. "And he needs all the help he can get and we'll make sure he has the best support system in the world."

While they waited for Ida to come back and tell them if her plan worked, Teddy played cards with Georgia. Her sister didn't need emphatic powers to know that she was antsy and wanting to look at her phone.

"Ida can handle herself," said Georgia. "She wouldn't go off alone with him unless she could."

"It's not Ida I'm worried about," Teddy sighed. "I've been ignoring all of Steve's and Tony's texts."

"Why?"

"Because Tony wants revenge and Steve is afraid it might be valid and if Bucky really is too far gone… Steve wants to be the one to stop him because he feels like what happened was his fault. They are both my friend and I don't want to take sides…"

"But Tony pissed you off," Georgia finished. "That's why you came here."

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea."

Teddy caved in and finally looked at her phone at the dozens of texts she was sent and missed calls. She watched her Stark Phone go blank except for an icon letting her know her phone was being hacked. Tony's face appeared on the screen, his eyes wide with panic.

"Teddy," he said. "What did you put on your phone? It took me hours to jail break!"

"I'm sorry, I thought you had a 'no monsters' policy," she replied coldly.

He stared at her with that look he got when he was on the verge of imploding. Teddy pursed her lips and rested her cheek against her fist but didn't hang up.

"I've been calling you to tell you I'm sorry," he said.

"I know you are," she replied, "but I needed to be angry."

"Where are you?" he asked. "I can't get a tag on your location."

"Not sayin'," said Teddy miming zipping her lips.

"When… are you ever coming back?"

"Perhaps… if you can find it in your heart to forgive Bucky."

Tony hesitated.

"Call us when you do," she said. "I don't want the Avengers to fall apart because of HYDRA. We still have a long way to go to get rid of them."

"I know…"

"Is that Teddy?" someone asked off-screen.

"Maybe— hey!"

Clint's face appeared on the screen.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Thor had to break up a fight between Steve and Tony."

"I'll text you the details," said Teddy. "Can you do me a favor while I'm gone?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Don't let the Avengers fall apart."

"Not an easy task, but I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Thanks. Byeee," she sang, tapping the end call button.


	25. Chapter 24

**Shit, I don't remember what month it is in the story... I wanna say... September or something. For those of you putting up with my mistakes. Y'all are rock stars.**

Teddy stopped being angry and moved back into the Avengers Tower. Bucky came with her and was staying on her and Ida's floor for the time being. He was rarely left without supervision and tended to follow either Teddy or Ida around with his backpack on at all times. Not if he needed to run, it was more like a security blanket type thing.

Even so, he was doing fine. He still didn't (or couldn't) talk and Clint was teaching him basic sign language when he was keeping an eye on Bucky. Bucky would use the sign language and also keep the Inside Out characters Ida got him to express his emotional state. He sometimes used the phone Teddy got him to look things up and lurk around their group chat: Avengers and Friends.

Tony still didn't like Bucky, but he trusted Teddy and her judgment. Still, he wouldn't be in the same room as Bucky if he could help it. Pepper and Thor had no qualms. Natasha was wary but didn't object to him being there, and Bruce didn't know what to think.

They did pretty well for several weeks and had only three incidences, but they were easily handled with no one getting hurt.

"Teddy, there's a package for you," said Bruce. "From… Wakanda? What could you possibly get from Wakanda?"

"Culture?" she said, taking the box from him and into her office. "Jay, lock the door and disable the cameras."

" **Yes, Dr. Williams."**

Teddy sat in her chair and held up the note.

 _Tell no one._

 _Use it well._

— _littlepanther02_

Confused, Teddy ripped open the box and gasped.

Inside, nestled in a black and silver tunic, was an unnaturally glowing blue tube about the size of her forearm. This was… _vibranium_. And a lot, too.

No way was she sharing this stuff. Tony would want to use it for weapons, but Teddy had other ideas.

There was something familiar about the color. Teddy found a cubic centimeter of it in the box, set apart from the rest and input it into her computer table. An image of its molecules appeared in a hologram.

"Jay, bring up Steve's DNA."

" **Yes, Dr. Williams."**

Teddy messed around the screen, going through every single component in her boyfriend's DNA until she found it.

Rubbing her mouth, still not convinced, Teddy did some research online.

"Holy shit," she breathed. "Holy shit!"

She grabbed her phone and texted the group chat.

 **I HAVE GIANT NEWS PARLAY TO THE COMMON ROOM HOLY FUCK! STEVE SHIELD NOW!**

Putting the vibranium into her private vault, Teddy ran downstairs to find everyone already in the Common Room, Steve with his shield.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked.

"Is everything okay?" Clint chimed.

Teddy took a deep breath.

"I have made a discovery so huge that… it's unbelievable," she said. "Like… none of y'all will believe me."

"We've fought aliens from outer space," said Tony. "I threw a nuke at them. I think I'll believe anything."

"This information is something that _cannot_ leave this room," Teddy continued. "And I mean _no one_ can hear this."

"What is causing you such distress, Theodora?" Thor asked.

"I figured out why nobody has been able to replicate the serum that made Steve a total babe," she said. "But after some research and curiosity… I figured out the key ingredient."

"Which is?" Tony asked.

"Vibranium."

"You're right, I don't believe it," said Bruce. "Vibranium is a metal, Teddy."

"So is iron and we have that in our systems," she countered. "Vibranium has the capability of so much more than a frisbee."

"Don't hate," said Steve hugging his shield. "But… how is it that this—" he pointed to it— "in _me_?"

"How else was your body able to stretch without killing you?" she countered. "I thought it might've just been your Mutant gene like Bruce's, but no… no, the vibranium influenced your DNA. It literally changed the way your body works and it- it healed you, made you stronger and harder to kill and easier to heal. This could change medicine forever!"

"One problem, Mr. President," said Tony. "There's none left. Howard used all of it to make Cap's shield."

"So you think," said Teddy. "I refuse to believe that he really mined _all_ of the vibranium in Wakanda. If they had more… they certainly wouldn't tell colonizers. Besides, it's the only country in Africa untouched by invaders. I don't know how much more they have, but it must be at least _some_."

"They're a third-world country," said Tony.

"I thought Earth was the third-world," said Thor furrowing his brow.

"He means they're underdeveloped but it actually is a scale on how close a country is to Communism," Teddy clarified. "It doesn't matter anyway, Steve's DNA was changed with vibranium and activated his X-gene! That was why nobody could replicate Dr. Erskine's serum! I looked it up, Tony. He spent a year in Wakanda while he was studying medicine. Must've found a way to liquidize it."

Steve stared at his hands in amazement as if it never occurred to him what exactly was in the serum he was given and that some of it was the same stuff his shield was made of.

"Good thing the Black Widow program didn't have access to that," said Natasha. "Though… I don't know if they would've thought to _inject_ us with it."

"Anyway," said Teddy. "I have stuff I gotta do."

She blew a kiss and ran back to her lab. She found some of littlepanther02's design suggestions. One of them being communicators with unlimited range. Something like that… nothing could knock them out and they'd be indestructible! Nothing could keep them from communication and Clint wouldn't have to worry about his hearing aids malfunctioning.

"Jay, lock anybody except Ida or Bucky out of my lab," said Teddy. "Set up the parental lock protocol."

" **Of course,"** said Jarvis.

The 'parental lock protocol' kept snooping kids out of her things. And by kids, she meant Bruce and Tony. Bruce was nosy, too, even if he didn't admit it.

It took about a week for her to complete the comms. Now, all she needed to do was test them out to make sure they held up.

" **Dr. Williams, Mr. Barnes is at your door."**

"Let him in."

Bucky entered the office and sat down in his chair. He seemed to enjoy watching her or Ida work. It wasn't creepy like one would expect having a scruffy white boy monitoring their every move. Really it seemed he was more inquisitive and genuinely wanted to know the task.

"Hey, Bucky," said Teddy. "How is everything?"

He dug into his backpack and removed Joy.

"Good. I'm glad you're doing well. I need your help with something."

He cocked his head at her.

"Hold out your metal hand." When he did, she placed the comm. "Try and crush it.

Furrowing his brow skeptically, he clenched his fist around it.

"Open."

When he opened it, the comm lay in his palm undamaged. Teddy gave him a comm and slid the one in his palm into her ear, Bucky following her lead.

"Testing," she said.

Bucky nodded, showing he could hear her.

"Ever seen a cave?" Teddy asked. "Like… a not scary one?"

He shook his head.

"Come on. Road trip!

"Did someone say 'road trip'?"

Teddy turned to see Thor standing in her doorway and smiled.

"Hey! Yeah, we're going to go to a cave. Kind of a two-day thing."

He raised an eyebrow.

"A cave you say? Perhaps I shall join you."

"Yeah, okay." She eyed his Asgardian outfit. "I think you can borrow some of Steve's clothes."

Bucky paused in contemplation, then nodded once.

"Okay, I'll pack us some overnight bags."

When they were in the garage and deciding on a car, Steve exited the car elevator on his motorcycle and parked. He removed his helmet.

"Where you going?" he asked.

"Road trip," she replied. "Niagara Falls."

He perked up and smiled. "Oh, can I come?"

Teddy glanced at Bucky. He removed Fear and Sadness from his backpack, so Teddy shook her head.

"Sorry, babe," she said, "not this time."

"Oh…" he visibly wilted and he got that sad puppy dog look that just made her heart hurt.

"Aww, don't give me that," she said and waved for Thor and Bucky to get in the soccer mom car with the captain chairs in the front and middle seats. Bucky sat in the back seat and Thor in the front.

Teddy approached Steve and smiled.

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow night," she said, resting her hand on the nape of his neck. "If I don't get overwhelmed on this road trip, we can…" she leaned in and whispered something in his ear that made him blush.

"O-okay," he stammered. "B-but only if you're up to it when you get back."

"You're so sweet." Teddy pressed her lips against his, then brushed his cheek with her knuckles. "We'll be home sometime tomorrow."

He was putty in her hands.

"Okay. Be safe."

"I will."

Teddy got in the car and drove into the car elevator that would take them to the ground floor. It would be about two hours to get to Cragsmoore which meant a plenty of time for talking.

"This is a strange way for midgardians to get around," Thor commented, playing with the buttons on the dashboard.

"Not all of us can fly," Teddy replied, slapping his hand. "Though, I know a few people who can. How big is Asgard?"

"Oh… about as large as this city," said Thor, turning his attention to the streets instead. "It's the only flat planet in the Nine Realms. All the others are round."

They passed one of the memorials for the Battle of New York and Thor visibly cringed.

"What's wrong?" Teddy asked. "Loki?"

Thor nodded. "I know he attacked Earth but it still hurt greatly when he died. He died a hero, so I hope he went to Valhalla as such."

"It must've been difficult when he became a tyrant."

"Well…" Thor shrugged, "he always was mischievous. One time, when we were children, he transformed into Lady Sif and led me off palace grounds. You know, because I had a crush on her then, and then he turned into back into himself, like "blegh, it's me!" and then he pushed me into a ravine."

Teddy snorted and laughed.

"Yeah, my sis and I were never so extreme. One of my brothers sometimes makes furniture disappear so it trips me but he wouldn't do something like turn me into a frog."

"Oh, yes, Loki had done that as well," said Thor. He huffed a laugh and shook his head. "His past tricks still make me mad but yet, I miss them and prefer them to what he had become. He'd betrayed me so many times, but I'm sure if I saw him again, I'd give him a hug."

"Sibling bonds are weird," said Teddy, shrugging. "Adopted or not, you can torment your sibling all you want, but the second someone else messes with them, you protect them. Of course, I never tormented my sister or little brothers. When I learned I was going to outlive them all…"

"That must be difficult."

"It is… but I got Steve and Mystique and Logan," she said, pushing off the sadness. "And now you! Now, I'll probably still die before you but I'm long-lived."

"Yes," said Thor, smiling. "You and the Captain are always welcome on Asgard when everyone else's lives have run their course."

Bucky tapped Teddy's shoulder. When she looked at him, he awkwardly signed, _Me Same Live Long Time?_

"I don't know," said Teddy. "I can't find anything on the serum used to keep you alive and I don't know if you have longevity or if cryo kept you from aging. I'll try and find out, though."

Bucky nodded and dug into his bag producing sadness and fear. Anxiety.

"Hey, don't'chu worry none," said Teddy. "I'll learn everything I can and we'll get you back to a stable state."

Bucky nodded and sat back in his seat.

When they were out of the city and had to stop for gas, Teddy unlocked the car.

"Stretch your legs," she said. "We got a long drive."

"What is this place?" Thor asked, eyeing the trash littered area apprehensively.

"A gas station." Teddy set up the pump. "Bucky, do you want to go inside or wait in the car?"

Bucky pondered it a moment then signed _Stay_.

"Okay, come on Thor, time to show you the wonders of an American gas station."

The god of thunder received many strange looks and a couple of teenagers were videotaping him.

"Pick whatever you want," said Teddy. "Ever have a slushy?"

"I have not. Jane and I don't go to places like this."

"Boo." She put together three slushies: Coke, Blue Raspberry, and Cherry.

"Excuse me," said a teenage girl. "Are you Thor?"

"I am," he said.

The girl and her friend giggled. "Can we take a picture with you?"

"I… I suppose."

Teddy offered to take the picture, chuckling at Thor's awkward smile. Small towns were one thing but he was still a fish out of water when it came to his fans. These fans anyway. He was popular back on Home World but they celebrated their celebrities differently and it was not by asking for pictures or autographs.

"Okay," said Teddy once they were in the car. "Road trip selfie!"

She, Bucky, and Thor smiled and raised their slushies up for the camera. Teddy grinned at the photo and posted it to her twitter, tumblr, and instagram. Steve immediately reposted it on twitter.

"This drink, I like it," said Thor, taking another sip of the blue raspberry slushy.

"Good, right?"

"It is indeed."

Teddy laughed. "Okay, we need to break you of that Elizabethan syntax, this is 2015."

"Oh, I suppose I could try," he said.

"You don't need to be so formal," she said. "We're your friends. Kinda like when you were telling me that story about your brother. I think you'll pick up on our jargon quickly, but don't always say what I say."

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm black and there are some things I say that should not be said by white people."

"Like what?"

Teddy glanced at him and began laughing.

"What?"

"Your tongue is blue."

Thor looked in the rearview mirror and stuck his tongue out. It was adorable. Kinda reminded Teddy of Steve.

Even though it was a crazy, stupid long drive to get to Niagara Falls, the Cave of the Winds to be more specific, the ride was actually pretty good. Thor had a lot of stories to tell, Bucky only got anxious twice, and neither of them complained about Teddy's music choice.

"The caverns are closed by now," said Teddy. "But it's out of season, so we can find a hotel to stay at and visit them in the morning and then we'll be on our way home. Yes, Bucky?"

He signed 'hotel' and held up Fear.

"It's okay," she said. "Thor and I will check in and you can hide your face when we go to the room. Okay? Or… is something else bothering you?"

 _Hotel. Kill._ He signed.

"Ohh… um… hm." Teddy pulled her phone out and looked up different hotels and motels in the area. "Okay, Bucky, pick a place that won't trigger you but also doesn't make you afraid to sleep because it's disgusting."

After a few minutes, Bucky leaned forward and punched in the address for a Days Inn.

"Alright," said Teddy, pleased with the choice. "And look! It's really close to where we wanna be."

The Days Inn was pretty nice and Bucky waited in the car while Teddy and Thor went to check in.

"Stop fidgeting," said Teddy.

"Apologies, but I'm not used to this fabric," he replied, tugging on the sleeves of his hoodie.

"You'll get used to it." she stepped forward. "Hi, I'd like a room please."

"We don't have anything available."

Okay… she was going to be one of _those_ people.

"Your website says otherwise."

"Then maybe you should have done online check-in."

"Have care with how you speak to my friend," said Thor.

The concierge looked up and her jaw immediately dropped. Yes, Thor did seem to have that effect on men and women alike.

"Uh-uh… yes, I'll see what we have available," the woman stammered. "Um… it looks like we have a- a room, but it's one king-sized suite."

Teddy snickered. "Okay, that's fine. We'll need a cot sent up to the room."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay…"

Teddy was certain that if this woman decided she, Teddy, didn't want him then she'd jump the god of thunder's bones herself. Once they put down the deposit and got their room keys, they went back out to the car so Teddy could park.

"All good?" Teddy asked Bucky.

He nodded and signed, _Fine_.

The room was a suite and it had a couch. As they were settling in, housekeeping brought in a cot. While Thor was perusing the television channels and Bucky was staring at a pamphlet with local attractions, Teddy sat on the bed and ordered pizzas. Once she was sure their food was on the way, she called Steve.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hey, baby," she said. "We made it to Niagara Falls, alright. Wanna hear something hilarious?"

 _"Yes."_

"So, we checked in and the concierge lady is like 'no room' and then Thor says 'have care, she's my friend' and then they lady was like 'well, we have a room, but it's a single bed' and it reminded me of this fanfiction I used to read."

 _"What do you mean used to?"_ Steve chuckled. _"You were reading some just last night. Something about… The Avengers and Planet Unicorn?"_

"Hey, it's not bad," said Teddy. "It has a thousand upvotes and it's well written. Besides, the image of Hulk riding a Pegasus is fucking hilarious."

 _"I guess, but who's Captain Marvel? Was she supposed to be an Avenger?"_

"No, she works alone in Boston mostly," Teddy put on her headphones and tapped the side so she could talk to him and have use of her hands.

 _"So, you got you, Thor, and Bucky to a single bed?"_

"Actually it's king-sized," she turned her tone teasing. "Jealous?"

Bucky snickered and smiled at her knowing exactly what she was talking about. Thor was engrossed in an episode of Chopped.

 _"I'm not jealous."_

"Ah, envious then?"

 _"Maybe a little."_

Teddy looked at Bucky who was typing something on his phone. When he held it up, she bit back her laughter.

"Oh, I know," she read. "I know you'd rather be the meat in the hunk sandwich."

While Steve spluttered, Teddy erupted into peals of laughter. Bucky wheezed and fell over, clutching his side.

 _"Did Bucky tell you to say that?"_ Steve asked.

"He did as a matter of fact. Not verbally, but he wrote me a script."

 _"Of course he did."_

Bucky typed something else and held it up.

"I'm not gonna say that," she giggled.

 _"Say what?"_

"Would you prefer Thor to be the big spoon or Bucky?"

 _"BUCKY!"_

"He says he'd prefer you," Teddy told Bucky.

"HA!" Bucky clapped a hand over his mouth looking surprised.

 _"What? No! That's not what I meant! Tell him that if he wants to fuckin' talk like that, then he better fuckin' call me himself."_

"Such language!" Teddy gasped.

"What are we laughing over?" Thor asked.

"Whether or not you or Bucky would be the little spoon with Steve."

"Little spoon?"

"You know when you're laying down you either have someone wrapped up in your arms or you're wrapped in theirs. Like stacking spoons."

"Ah! I see," Thor hummed. "Well, I suppose if the good captain were willing I wouldn't mind feeling his arms around me. I just don't know how Jane would feel."

"I dunno, I think she might be for it." Teddy picked up her phone.

 _"Teddy, you better not be texting this to the group chat."_

"I'm not," she assured him and grinned when her phone buzzed. "But Bucky is."

 _"WHAT?!"_

Bucky laughed out loud and was immediately silenced when a knock came at the door. He got to the ground and leaned against the wall.

"That must be pizza," said Teddy, getting to her feet and peering through the peep hole. "Yep, it's pizza." She opened the door and handed the delivery girl $100 with a wink.

Looking like she might faint, the girl stuffed the money in her pocket.

Teddy closed the door with her foot and set the pizza down on the desk.

"While I'd love to continue this sex-talk, food's here and nothing is nastier than eating while you're on the phone with someone."

 _"Yeah and I'm going to turn my phone off and ignore everyone asking me for threesomes."_

"Hey, at least Bucky is getting his sense of humor back," she reasoned. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

 _"You do?"_

Shit.

"Uhh… Well… um… oh, no! My battery is dead." She hung up and turned her phone off.

"What happened?" Thor asked grabbing the top pizza box and sitting on the bed.

"I accidentally told Steve I love him."

 _Do you love Steve?_ Bucky signed.

"I do, but I wasn't planning on telling him over the phone," she said and grabbed her own pizza. "That's going to be a long conversation."

Bucky looked down at his phone and huffed through his nose.

"Is Steve texting you?"

He nodded and wiggled his phone.

"Pizza selfie?"

He nodded.

"Alright! Crowd in!"


	26. NOTICE

Greetings to all my followers,

I have lost control of my story and the plot points have become confusing. Therefore, I will be putting the story on hiatus until I can rewrite it to the higher standard I hold for the rest of my work. I appreciate all of you and hope that you will stick with it when the time comes for me to start posting again.

Sincerely,

Your disgruntled author


End file.
